Green Wings
by Tall Star
Summary: Blood never matters, right? Even if you're related to the greatest mad man on the planet, that doesn't mean your bad, right? DISCONTINUED FOR MAJOR REVAMP
1. Chapter 1

Blood never matters, right? Even if you're related to the greatest mad man on the planet, that doesn't mean your bad, right? Auka asks this question. However, she recives her answer in a certain green stone.

**I own Auka, Endevor, and any one else that's not in the book Eragon by Christopher Paolini. I also own the plot. If you want to use it, you have to ask.**

"Please father! I don't _want _to go!" Auka begged, looking at her father with pleding eyes. Her father shook his head,

"No! Galbatroix has been demanding to see you." He replied sternly, "Why in the heck _don't _you want to go?" Auka sighed.

"He scares me." The girl muttered, shivering. The man's face softened.

"The king wouldn't hurt you love, don't worry." Auka blinked slowly, gazing up at her father, trying to figure if she believed him.

"Alright." She relented. The man smiled, giving her a quick hug.

_This place looks like something out of a horror story. _Auka thought darkly as she gazed around the castle.

"Father?" Her father gave her a questioning look, "Why did he want to see me?"

"The king set a date for all the noblemen to bring our children. He wants to see the next gereation." He explained, running a hand through his red hair, Auka could feel his dark green eyes studying her. "Do you understand?"

"But you _aren't _a nobleman!" Auka growled, frowning. Her father sighed,

"Yes, yes, but I want to see my brother sooner or later."

"I can't believe I'm his niece!" Auka scowled, "You don't even look like him!"

"Well, I took after our father while Galbatroix took after our monther. But we have the same eyes, don't we?"**(1)**

_No, his are shining with maddness. _"Sure. I think I can see." Auka tiltled her head to the side, relising for the first time that the man standing before him had just about the same build as the king. Wondering why she didn't notice this before, she didn't notice anyone behind her until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Letting out a small squick of surprise, she looking into the same dark green eyes as her father, but they were cold and hard as stone.

"Greeting y-your m-magisty!" She stamered. Galbatroix smiled, but it did not seem warm at all.

"Hello Auka. I've been waiting for this day for a very long time." The man grinned, making Auka shiver, "You look so much like your father." He noted, his eyes sweeping over her. Auka frowned, wondering. Sure, she had the trademark forest green eyes, but her hair was copper, not red. Then she relised that if she looked like her _father_, that ment that she looked like _him! _

"I'm not to sure about that Sir." She replied, bowing her head, "Just the same eyes I suppose." Galbatroix chuckled smoothly,

"Perhaps. Brother, come with me, there are many people who want to know you." When the slightly younger man hesitaited, looking at his daughter, Galbatroix waved him off, "Don't worry about the child Bother, there are other children, and she has free run of the palace."

"Escuse me?" Auka asked queitly, Galbatroix looked at her, "Then why are there guards blocking the other children?"

"Very good Auka." The king praised, looking at her. "They are there so that no silly noblechildren get losed. They would let you through, and anyone with you, but that's it alright?"

"Sure." The girl grinned, "Thankyou sir!" Galbatroix smiled, and shooed her off. Auka obayed quickly.

_Gods, I hate that man!_ She fumed quietly as she walked along, and was soon stopped by a nobleman dressed in silk and gods know what other fancy junk.

"Hello little lady." He said, Auka looked up at him,

"Greeting Nobleman." She replied. The man smiled oddly.

"How old are you lass?"

"13 sir." She replied, narrowing her eyes. She knew she was pretty, and judging by the way the noble was looking her over, he agreed.

"I see." The man mused, then inclined his head. "It was nice meeting you."

"As it is the same for me." Auka replied, before slipping off.

The girl soon found herself in a rather crowded room, but she was soon finding good freinds. Two were 19 and 10 years old, Murtagh and Umbra,**(2)** and another girl named Ellie,**(3)** a daugther of a nobleman. The four children were perched on the stairs, so they had a good view of all the older people.

"So if Galbatroix is your Uncle.." Murtagh frowned, "Your father must be like 90 years old! I don't under stand..."

"Father said that he was 'blessed' like the king too. I don't understand it at all." She shook her head. Murtagh frowned, but agreed.

Umbra spoke up, his voice young, "What about him being a Rider? The king is a Rider, and our servant once said that that was why he lives so long!"

The three older kids gazed at Umbra in thought. "You know." Ellie mused, "That's possible. Have you ever asked him?"

Auka knitted her brows together in thought, "No, now that I think about it, no. I'll ask him next time." She annoced, grinning. The others nodded.

"But will we all be here next time?"Umbra asked softly. Frowns were exchanged, and Auka felt the darkening of the air around her.

She took a deep breath, "Well, we'll just all come next time, why not? We can just ask our parents _nicely." _The others nodded slowly.

"Deal?" Ellie asked, looking at them all. The other children somlely bowed their heads,

"Deal." They echoed. Looking at eachother in surprise.

A cold smile spread across the king's face as he gazed at the four children. His eyes narrowed, but a hand on his shoulder made him look back.

"Don't you even _think _about it!" The king's brother hissed, his eyes alight with anger.

Galbatroix raised an eyebrow, "Think about what little brother?" He asked smothly.

Endevor narrowed his eyes. "You can't fool me Galbatroix. You leave Auka alone, you hear?" Endevor knew his brother was dark and evil. Not at all like the big protective brother he had grown up with...

"But what if her future is as a rider?" The king said smoothly, "You see? She is already freinds with the two boys, who are to be riders..."

"No!" Endevor inturupted his elder brother, "I will hear none of it!"

"Do you not want your legacy to continue?" Galbatroix asked, his voice like silk. Endevor snorted, well aware of the act.

"Not in Auka." The man whispered, "No."

"But think dearest brother," Galbatroix walked a circle around the slightly younger man, "She would be the first _female _rider! Her name would forever be remembered. So would your's."

Endevor caught himself fantaizing, before he shook his head to clear it. "NO! No." The man tried to move away from the older man, feeling himself weaken, but Galbatroix once again moved in the way.

"But what about Chev?" Galbatroix asked quietly. Endevor froze, evey bone in his body aching. Then, he wirled on his older brother,

"NO!" He yelled, well aware of the fact that many had stopped to stare, "Don't you bring up Chev you idiot! I _fallowed _you, because I looked _up _to you!" Endevor fell silent shortly later, muttering curses under his breath, before he looked Galbatroix dead in the eye, he was actully taller than his older brother, "Watch your mouth brother. I am not a loyal as I had once been." he treatened.

Galbatroix swept his eyes over the man. Endevor, however, couldn't tell what the madman was thinking. The two brothers stood rooted to the spot, their eyes stareing coldly at eachother.

"Endevor, my little brother." Galbatroix hissed, "You have changed greatly."

"Yes." The other man replied tightly, "I'm not so easy to twist to your will, am I?"

"No." Galbatroix replied, stepping forward so that they were toe to toe, nose to nose. "You are stupid now. Your senses died with Chev." Endevor struggled to hold down his anger, "You _could _have killed that stupid boy, use _his _dragon, but no, you were too soft."

"I am not mad like you." Endevor replied through clentched teeth, "Shruikan deserved a better life than a servant to _you!_ You brought shame upon the RIders, and shame upon your first dragon!"

"Why would I have put shame upon her?" Galbatroix growled, his eyes filling with rage.

"If she had known of your future, then she wouldn't had chosen you to be her rider." Endevor hissed in response, sqareing his shoulders.

Auka watched her father and uncle, filled with fear. Umbra, Murtagh, and Ellie stood beside her, looking just as horrified. The two men were rooted to the spot, their anger seeming the crack in the air. Her father stood a couple inches taller than Galbatroix, and it looked like he was using every inch of it. The two looked so strange together, in a _natural _way. It was just freaking the girl out.

And the reason why she was so scared, it seemed like it was her fault.

The girl swattered her hair out of her face as she let out a fusteraited cry, slamming the book shut.

"This is impossible!" She yelled, glareing at the book. She was sitting in her father's huge libarary, reading a book that she had found very carefully hidden. It was filled with a laungage that Auka couldn't even read, but the green dragon on the cover had attracted her ation.

"Auka why are you..." Auka quickly ditched the book on the ground as the man rounded the clearing, but he still saw it. The girl saw his face go from alarm, to anger, to just plain worry. Auka gulped, worried. "Auka, where'd you find this?" The man asked, bending down and picking it up.

"I-I was just looking for a good book!" She explained, "Then, then I saw this little case, and the book was inside of it...I'm sorry..." She muttered. Her eyes focused on the hands in her lap.

Her father heaved a huge sigh, before he shook his head. "No, Auka, don't be sorry." Auka looked up in surprise, "It's in your blood."

"My blood?"

"Yes." His father once again showed her his right palm, which had a silver oval on it. Auka never really thought about it really. "You see Auka, I'm a rider." Auka felt her jaw unhinge, "And the dragon on the front is _my _dragon, Chev."

"The one you were yelling a Galbatroix about!" Auka relised. The man nodded sadly.

"Yes." He opened the book, "I had this made after Chev died, I-I wanted to remember him somehow."

"How'd he die?" The girl asked, leaning agaist her father's shoulder as he sat on the couch next to her.

"Well," He sighed, "When your uncle's first dragon died, he went mad. I-I tried to help him, but Chev wouldn't let me get to close, neither would the elders."

"Why?"

"Because they didn't want two crazy kids. When I found out that my _own brother _had killed a new rider and stolen the whelp, I was horrified. To the credit of the elders, they didn't even glance at me any diffrently, and it helped. When Galbatroix managed to gather up five other riders to do his bidding, I soon relised _I _was in trouble. It started when I was out meditaiting, then...Galbatroix stepped out of the shadows, like he was _one _with it. I was freightened, but happy to see my brother again."

"I remember when Galbatroix was young, and so was I, he used to be so protective and caring. I would get a stracth and he would start to worry. But then our dragons came, and that started the whole mess. We just drifted apart..." Endevor heaved a sigh at the thought, but quickly continued,

"Then I saw the look on his face, and I knew something bad had happened. I was only 13, and didn't understand. However, Chev, who had been flying above, saw the dangor and left to alert the elders. Galbatroix started telling me all about how strong he was, and how happy he was. Then he looked at me, and told me how he would like me to be as strong, and such. I was downright alarmed. I told him he was crazy, that I wouldn't betray the Riders like that. Then Galbatroix approched me, and, keep in mind, he's ten years older than me, and treatened to drag me with him if I refused. But Chev found one of the elders and his dragon, Oromis and Gladr, flying about, and they came quick enough. But by the time they arrived I was broke down in tears, and Galbatroix was just about to make me swear to fallow him. But he left, and you wouldn't believe how confused and scared I was, Auka, I just fell into that elf's arms without a second thought. After that, well, it went downhill. The elders instructed me to stay close to safety, and I did. I didn't want to fallow my brother."

"But day by day I began to wonder. I always had loved my brother, tried to be just like him in every way, but now I wasn't sure. I looked _up _to him, and I was completly confused. I was training with one of the elders when Galbatroix came again, murder in his mind. He and Morzan came, and they started attacking him. I tried to help, but the elder told me to flee. I tried, but two others grabbed me, and forced me to my knees. Galbatroix declared that the elder was to die for refusing him, and 'forcing' me to stay. I was crying, begging him to stop, and Galbatroix turned to me, leaving Morzan and another 'fellow' and he approched me. I was so mad and afraid, perhaps a bit confused too. When he asked me if I would willing serve him, I said no. Then, I remember, he had gotten down to eye level with me, and told me that he would make me obay him if I refused any longer. I asked him why, and he said that he couldn't leave me with those 'fools' that were holding me back from what I could become."

"But what of the dragons?" Auka asked, cerious. Endevor sighed.

"The dragons couldn't do anything. The elder's dragon knew that if he moved, the elder would be killed, same for Chev. Anyways, I looked right into Galbatroix's eyes and spoke to him, that I would never, ever, serve him. Galbatroix just smiled this cold way, and said, 'perhaps I must teach you a leason.' Then he turned to the elder's dragon, and I caught on. I screamed for him to stop, but the 23 year old didn't listen. He called down Shruikan, who attacked the elder's dragon. When the poor black whelp couldn't do much, Galbatroix just burned the old dragon to death. _Burned! _I cried, horrified that my own brother could do such a thing. Plus, I saw the pain on the elder's face, but then Galbatroix turned back to me, and asked if I wanted another leason. I was so terrified, I didn't want any more deathes. But just as I was about to give in, the elder and Chev gave me a look, and I relised that I never would serve my own brother willingly. I told him that I would never do such a thing. Galbatroix just snorted and turned to _Chev. _I could feel my blood drain away. Then he seemed to consider, and he turned back to me. He said that killing Chev would ruin my worth, so he was just going to have to do it the hard way. He forced himself into my mind, tourturing me until I was certain I would die. The pain was just too much, along with his betraying me. I finally just collasped, terrified. Galbatroix seemed pleased enough, and he said he was in such a good mood that he would let the elder go.

I couldn't look the man in the eye, I never could, I felt so dirty. But I could tell he was just as inferiated, so angry with the man.

My fate was sealed. I unwillingly fought beside him, each death making me feel worse and worse, then, the day came. I was walking to meet Galbatroix, and when I entered the clearing, I was downright horrified. Galbatroix had captured the elder Oromis, that had saved me the first time, and Galbatroix was in the process of tourturing him, and I exploded."

_Flashback:_

_"Galbatroix!" Endevor cried, rage fueling his voice. In only a few strides he was moving between the elder and his 'leader', determind not to mess up again. Galbatroix glared down at him._

_"Move out of my way little brother."_

_"No!" Endevor clentched his jaw, squaring his shoulders and glared up at his brother. Galbatroix pressed his lips, Endevor could see rage building up in them._

_"I could kill you right now."_

_"You'd be doing me a favor!" Endevor snapped in reply, feeling his hands clentch around his sword. It was the same green as his dragon. Galbatroix raised an eyebrow, before taking a treatening step forward,_

_"I will not put up with you acting like this little brother.."_

_"Stop calling me your brother!" Endevor pratically screamed, "As far as I am concerned, we are not related." Galbatroix just sniffed. Before he raised his hand,_

_"I'm warning you once more Endevor." Galbatroix growled. Endevor tensed, readying for the blow of magic he would recive, he was all too use to it. Galbatroix said the words, and the boy collasped, cringing in pain as every bone in his body broke, atleast it seemed. The boy bit his bottom lip, his body shaking in the effort to hold in his scream of pain. By the time Galbatroix was done, tears were running down the boy's face, but he wasn't through yet. No, the madman still wanted to do something, and Endevor had the distinct knowledge of what it was. Galbatroix drew his dagger, and Endevor felt his breath catch in his throat. He had seen this done to the last foreswron, to convince him to join their side. _

_"My little Dev." Galbatroix mused, squating down beside the young boy, "Disobaying aren't we?" Endevor stared at Galbatroix as he ran his finger along the blade, "You know the punishment, don't you little brother?" Endevor said nothing. "I didn't want to do this to you, but you have left me no choice. Someday, all my servants will have it." Endevor gulped as Galbatroix called to Morzan, who obdeintly pinned the boy down, Endevor squized his eyes shut, wondering if it hurt as much as he heard. He was forced to lie on his back, his almost scarless back bare, only a deep, knoting scar crossed down his lower back.. Then, without warning, Galbatroix began, drawing the blade down, the fallowing the same thing. In no less than 15 minutes, Endevor had buried his head into the grass in an effort to hold back his screams. Then, half an hour later, Galbatroix stopped._

_"There, now maybe you'll have some sense." Morzan let the boy up, something much like pity shining in his eyes, but he said nothing. "Get up, and get rid of those tears, it makes you look weak!" Endevor cursed under his breath, wincing as moving a fraction of an inch caused pain to race down his muscles. Finaly, he dragged himself up, leaning on Morzan, who seemed all too willing to help, while Galbatroix chuckled in his amused way. "Getting soft Morzan?"_

_"No sir!" Morzan replied, "But the boy is too weak to stand right now, sir."_

_"Good." Galbatroix snorted, "Maybe he learned his leason!"_

_"You monster!" Oromis spat from his spot, where long gashes covered his body. Galbatroix raised an eyebrow and turned to the elf._

_"Monster?" He mused, "I am mearly teaching him a leason."_

_"He's a child!"_

_"Not so." Galbatroix replied smoothly, before he drew his blade, "Now I'm sorry, but we must end this quickly, perhaps you will take that silly dragon with you..." Endevor felt his body stiffen._

_"No, Endevor, don't you dare!" Morzan growled, "He'll kill you!"_

_"I'm not just going to stand here!" Endevor snapped, breaking away from Morzan, and walked with great diffacultly to where he was once again standing protectivly infront of the elf._

_"Why must you keep doing this?" Galbatroix sighed in irritaiton. Then, his face cleared, before he smiled, "I think I know." _

_"I don't like that look on your face Galbatroix!" Endevor growled._

_"You rightfully shouldn't." Galbatroix replied coldly, then turned to where Chev was watching._

_"No." Endevor caught on, his voice with horror, "No, Galbatroix, please..."_

_"You can always take someone else's dragon little brother." Galbatroix replied, raising his hand, Chev let out a roar,_

_"Chev! Get out of here!" The boy cried._

_'No little one. It is my fate.' The dragon hissed at Galbatroix, 'How dare you do this to your own kin Galbatroix.' The man snorted, and spoke the words. Endevor sobbed, and tried to go to him, but Morzan held him back, letting the boy bury his head into his shoulder._

_"Don't look." The man whispered. Endevor felt the mind he had come to almost think of his own die, and it horrified him._

_"Let the fool go." Galbatroix ordered, Morzan reluctantly agreed. Endevor ran to his dying dragon, not even noticing his bleeding back.._

_"Chev. Oh, Chev, you should have flew." Endevor whispered, kneeling beside his dragon, the gaint emerald dragon heaved a sigh._

_'I would never leave you little one.' Chev replied._

_"Chev, Chev, no! Please, don't leave me with _him!_" _

_'I must little one. I am sorry.'_

_"Chev, I swear, I swear to the gods, you will be the olny dragon that I will ever be paired with, I-I won't let that...that...beast force me to do it! No, no one can replace you." Chev heaved a sigh._

_'I am glad to hear that little one.' The dragon said weakly, then, he closed his gaint eyes, and Endevor felt him slip away. The boy cried, his hand still resting on the gaint cheeck on his dragon, which was rapidlly feeling colder. He wasn't aware of the pittying looks from Morzan and the elder, only the cold, satisfied look on his older brother's face._

"Oh dad." Auka whispered, looking up at him in shock, "That's why you always stiffened when I asked you about the scar! I'm so sorry." Her father smiled warmly.

"You didn't know little one." He replied, brushing some hair gently out of her face.

"But why did the brand change? It's diffrent now." Endevor shrugged,

"It's been over a 100 years Auka, long enough to change a few things."

"I suppose." The girl agreed darkly. They sat like that for the longest time, then Endevor sighed.

"What I fear Auka, is the Galbatroix is looking for a new generation of riders." Auka frowned at him, confused. "He thinks you might be one of them."

"What!"

"Murtagh and Umbra, the two you were talking to?"

"Yeah?"

"They are Morzan's sons, and Galbatroix is certain that two eggs**(4)** will hatch for them. But none of the other forsworn had children that are still alive, except for me." Auka felt her eyes widen and her jaw drop,

"I don't want to fallow him dad!"

"And I don't want you to either." He replied. "That's why you must flee to somewhere. A place where the king would never look."

"Where's that?"

"A little town near the spine called Carvahall."

"You'll come with me right?" Auka asked, giving him a begging look. The man hesitaited, but then relented.

"Might as well. You need to be trained to defend yourself."

"Great!" Auka grinned up at him, "When do we leave?"

"Tomarrow night." Endevor replied smoothly.

_Great. _Auka thought, "Then I'll go pack!"

**(1) **You'd never know, maybe Galbatroix has a brother? Well, there's a reason why this is an AU! So if you don't like that good guy that related to the big time evil guy, go read another story.

**(2) **Since I'd already had made it an AU, I figured I could toy around with it. Enter Umbra, Murtagh's, (and Eragon's) youngest brother.

**(3)** She isn't just a nice little rich girl. You'll meet her later, I need some girl who really wants to kick butt, and Ellie is gonna fill that spot in. "(winkwink)

**(4) **In this AU, there's four eggs. A blue one, a green one, a red one, and a silver one. The blue one in still in the hands of the Varden/Elves, since right now Eragon hasn't found the egg, it's a few weeks before.. The rest Galbatroix still has. :(

Yay! I've been thinking about finally writing a story, so here it is. R/R if you want, I don't mind flames, as long as they don't get _too _bad. Keep in mind that I've never finished Eldest, so the story won't have the facts that the book had in it. I'm reading it right now, so perhaps I'll change that. Plus, Auka isn't a perfect little angel, you'll see soon enough. Oh yeah, there's probly a whole bunch of spelling errors, and I'm sorry 'bout that, my computer doesn't have spell check, but I'll try my best.

-Tall Star


	2. Chapter 2

Auka swatted a bug from her face as she rode behind her father, in only a short two hours, her excitement for the trip had long died out. It had been intresting enough, getting out of Uru'Baen was tricky, since Galbatroix had forebid the family to leave the capital, but they managed. After that, it got boreing, just riding and riding, enough the drive a person made.

"Not so intrested are we, now?" Her father asked, chuckling. Auka just snorted, and patted her horse on the shoulder. She was riding a gurlo, while her father was riding a bay. Auka tipped her head back, glareing up at the fluffy white clouds, they deffinctly didn't make her feel any better.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"How long will it take for us to get to Carvahall?" Auka asked.

"Three, four weeks." The man answered, dutifully ignoring his daughter's groan.

* * *

"Alright now, time to pratice." Auka's father announced, stepping out of the forest, in his hands were two sturdy sticks, and he tossed one at Auka, who barely caught it. "You need to be able to fight for yourself, hun." Auka snorted, but got to her feet. The two battled for over two hours, and by the time Auka crawled into her bed roll, she had more than a few bursises. But she wasn't mad at her father, she had to learn.

* * *

"Auka, get up you sleeply head!" Auka rolled over with a groan, glaring into the face of her father, his dark green eyes shone with amuzment.

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, I'll just ride my horse over you."

"Alright! Geez, I'm getting up..." She grumbled, "The sun's not even up!"

"Well, that means we have a full day ahead of us." Endevor replied, amused. "Besides, Yazuac is only a couple miles away."

"Really!" Auka scrambled up, rolling up the bedroll, "Can we go now?"

Endevor laughed, shaking his head, "Alright, just hurry up."

Auka did just that.

* * *

"Dad, can I buy something?" Auka begged as they rode down the main street of the city, Endevor sighed,

"Sure, here," He placed some money in her hands, "I'll meet you in that Inn up there, do you see it?"

"The Fork Tounged Inn?" Auka screwed up her face, "That doesn't sound healthy."

"It's just a name!" Her father asured her, before they parted ways. Auka hopped off her horse, and was soon inspecting _everything. _But a glint of something caught her eyes, pushing her way through the cword of rich women, she looked at it in awe. It was dark green, with silver lines webbing all over it in a radom, but pretty, pattern. Auka wondered how a stone could get so smooth,

"Escuse me sir!" The girl called, waving over the man, "How much is that stone?"

"That one?" The man grinned at her, "Well, I can't break it, but it sure is pretty, it fits your eyes purfectly. I'll give it to you for 75 crowns." Auka grinned and handed it over, relieved that she had been given alot of money. With that, she mounted her horse again, and rode to the inn.

"Excuse me sir, I'm looking for a room where a man named Endevor is staying?" She asked as she aproched the counter, after leaving her horse in the stables. The stone weighted down in her pack.

"Your his daugther?"

"Yup."

"Go upstairs, 3rd door to your left little lady."

"Thank you sir." She replied, dashing up the steps. She found the room and entered, smiling when she saw here father perched on his bed, reading a book. He looked up as she closed the door.

"Hey, did you get anything?"

"No. Nothing caught my eyes." Auka replied, not meeting his eyes. Something told her not to speck about the green stone.

"I see." He answered. "Well, keep the money, maybe at the next town you can get something."

"Father?" Auka asked as she sat down beside him, "Where are we gonna stay in Carvahall?"

"In a rented room until I find a certain...freind." Endevor answered. Auka tried to get him to tell her who his 'freind' was, but he ended up chasing her off to bed.

* * *

_Gods. I'm bored to death. I'm gonna slip right off this horse if we don't stop soon..._ Auka fumed as they rode along. The area was getting woodier and woodier as they neared the spine, but she could also feel the air getting colder. "Great! Just my wonderful luck!" She sighed.

"Hm?" Her father gave her a sideways look.

"Don't you notice that it's getting colder?"

"Yeah, but we still have a few weeks until winter. I _know _how much you _love _winter."

"Oh yeah, it's soooo wonderful!" Auka replied curtly, closeing her eyes. They rode for maybe two hours, before her father declaired that today would be cut short for some new practice time.

"Today, we won't use sticks." Her father explained. Auka frowned. She had grown to be rather good at swordmanship, not as strong, but what she lacked she more than made up with her agility and quickness. She watched as her dad pulled out a emereld green sword, his dragon rider blade, then he gave her another one, it was a slate grey.

"Cool!" She quietly reached out to grab it.

"It was another forsworn's blade. I took it from him after he died."

"Oh." Auka felt it in her hand, it was almost too heavy. "Well, here it goes..." She muttered as she took a fighting stance.

"Not so soon!" Her father scolded, chuckling. Then, he spoke some strange words and a light green spark begun to dance between his fingers, he ran them up and down the blade, then explained. "It's guarded, see?" He struck his wrist, but nothing happened. "Now you try."

"But I can't use magic!" The girl complained.

"Oh sure you can!" Endevor chuckled, "Any human can use it if they can find it. For you, it'll be eaiser since your father is a rider. Now comeon, concentrate _real _hard, and say the words, _Geuloth du knifr! _Alright?" Auka screwed up her face,

"Dull the knife? Alright.." She had studied the Ancheint laugage for the whole trip, and she was getting better and better at pronouciation. She spoke the words, and only a faint spark came, and it wasn't much. It took her a couple tries, but soon she had the blade guarded. She soon discovered that this wasn't as fun as it should be. Then, joy of joys, when she woke up the next day, bruised and sore, she found an inch of snow on the ground.

_Could it get any worse? _The girl wondered dryily.

* * *

"I thought you said that it would be a _few weeks until winter! _Not a few days!" Auka complained as her horse trotted through the foot deep snow. It had been two weeks since it had first snowed, and Auka was _really _starting to hate it.

"Sorry hun." Endevor apalogised, smiling back at her, "I guess I guessed wrong."

"Oh jee." Auka rolled her eyes, but smiled. The snow had slowed their travel, but that didn't matter much, she was beginning to love traveling. Well, that scared her a bit, she used to hate it. _Oh well. _Auka shrugged it off. They were only a day's travel from Carvahall.

* * *

Auka topped the hill, and brought her horse to a stop.

"_That's _Carvahall?" The girl questioned her father, who was beside her on the bay.

"Yup. Fine little place if I say so myself." Auka gave him a dry look, then relised that all activity had stopped due to their apperance.

"I feel like a outcast or something."

"Yes." Her father agreed, "It will be like that for some time. But this village hates Galbatroix, so were safest here."

"I see, look, someone's coming!" The girl spotted a man, perhaps lower 30s, walking towards them. Endevor hopped off his horse and walked forward, Auka fallowed, leading the horses.

"Greetings sir." Endevor greeted as he neared. The other man greeted him as well, "I am Endevor and this is my daugther Auka, we're looking for a place to lodge."

"Your more than welcome here kind fellows." The man replied, "I am Horst, but, I warn you, our village doesn't take kindly to rich Empire noblemen."

"Aye." Endevor dipped his head, "But I am not one of them Horst, we are actully trying to _advoid _the Empire." Horst looked shocked, but then a smile split his face.

"Then you are more than welcome here. Come, so I may introduce you to some people." The three people started down the hill, where a group of cerious people were gathered.

Once Horst had explained who they were, the people welcomed them with open arms. They ment Morn, who owned the tarven, and offered them two spare rooms, Endevor agreed.

* * *

Auka stared out the window of her room, it was fairly nice, but was small. She didn't really mind. She loved the simplicity of the village..then she stood up, and left the room, walking down the hall and knocking on her father's door, when he answered, she entered.

"Would it be alright if I go explore?" The girl asked, cerious as ever. Endevor chuckled,

"Of course little one. Go on."

"Thank you!" She left and went downstairs, where the tavren was serving a table full of travelers. Tara took a break from her work to come see her.

"Hello...Auka?" Auka nodded.

"Hello Tara, are you Morn's wife?"

"That I am." Tara asured, "Auka, don't you have a mother?" Auka jumped slightly, before smiling.

"Yes, she died a year after I was born."

"Oh, I'm sorry..." Auka could see that she turely was,

"It's okay." Auka smiled at her, "Are there any other children my age around here?"

"There's Eragon, and a few others, but that's about it." The woman shrugged, before sighing, she was looking long at an old table, which needed to be washed.

"I'll wash it for you Ma'am, I won't mind!" Auka offered, figuring that she might as well help, Tara looked at her,

"Really? Thank you dear, this means alot to me. Come here, and I'll show you were the water and all that is."

Tara and Auka became fast freinds, 'cept Auka never told Tara about her past, and Tara was polite and didn't ask. Once Auka had washed all the tables, she was escused, and left. She walked down the streets, enjoying it all, then she saw a boy maybe a couple years older than her walking out of a buidling, Horst beside him. The two talked, then Horst spotted her.

"Oh, Auka, come see Eragon here!" Auka smiled sheepishly, but came forward all the same.

"Hi." The two greeted eachother. Then Auka noticed a blue stone in his hands, "I have one just like that!" She said, surprised, "But mines green."

"Really?" The burnette looked up, "Where'd you find your's?"

"I bought it from a vender." The girl replied, "Where'd you find your's?" Nither kid noticed Horst edging away.

"Out in the spine. I was real weird, like everything was burned around it."

"That is weird." Auka agreed, frowning. Then she looked behind the boy, the were an oldish lookng man was looking at her, he quickly looked away. "Who's that?" Eragon, who looked around 15, turned around, she saw him hide the stone,

"Oh, him? That's Brom, he's the best story teller ever, whanta go see him?"

"Sure!" Eragon led him over, Brom looked freindly enough.

"Well, hello little lady." The old man greeted her, Auka smiled at him.

"Hello mister." She replied, smiling, he wasn't all that bad.

"So, I hear your on the run from the Empire?" Auka jumped slightly at the blunt question, before nodding slowly.

"Yes. My father..got in a fight with the king."

"You mean he got away alive?" Eragon asked in amazment.

"Er, yeah." Auka sighed, "You can _say _he was a nobleman, but...er...well, I was there, it was one of those high and fancy meeting things, and my dad just blew up at him, not quite sure what it was about." She shrugged, "We left, and we had to sneak out of Uru'Baen, but we're alright."

"You're father must have been a favorite of Galbatroix, for the king to tolerate him like that." The old man's voice had something in it, and Auka didn't like it.

"Yes, I suppose so." She replied, narrowing her eyes, carefully putting up her defenses around her mind. Sure enough, she felt a gentle mind brush her's, it was a test, to see if she knew how to block people. Auka gave him a death glare, but decided to forgive him.

"Why isn't your father out with you?" Brom asked, she could see that he was mildly surprised.

"I know how to take care of myself." Auka replied. That was ture, she _did _have a sword strapped to her side.

"I can see that." Brom agreed, but then smiled, "Well, feel free to come see me again litttle ones, I need company occasionally."

"Of ourse Brom!" Eragon asured him, and they left. "What to meet the other people?"

"Sure!" With that, Auka was soon meeting many people, and she found herself becoming good freinds with Eragon. Then, they parted, and Auka was about to head back to her room, when she spotted Brom walking over to her. She would have continued, but politness forced her to stop.

"Hello Auka." Brom greeted her, smiling.

"Hello Brom." Auka replied, well aware of the fact that no body was in hearing distance.

"Where did you learn to block your mind little one?"

"Almost everyone that are around Galbatroix, except for the dimwitted nobles, know how to block their minds, _sir._"

"Why'd you stop here?" Brom asked, looking cerious. Auka sighed.

"We stopped her to take a break, and my father said that he wanted-"

"To meet a freind." Endevor finished behind her, laying a hand on her shoulder, "Hello Brom."

"Endevor!" Brom's face was white. Auka frowned, looking between the two. Then she relised something, Brom's hair was pure silver, and Endevor was just starting to get silver around his temple, and Endevor said the reason why he was getting silver instead of grey was because of the dragons...so if Brom has silver hair, that means..._Great gods, that old man is a rider! He must be even older than my father! _

"Why are you here?" The old man asked, Auka flinched at the hate in his voice.

"As Auka said, I am here fleeing from the stupid old man on the throne." Endevor replied smoothly, when he saw that Brom didn't believe him, he sighed, "Great Gods, Brom, do you need me to say it in the Anchient Laungage, it wouldn't come out any diffrently."

"But why do you flee from your leader and brother?" Brom asked, suspicion in his eyes. Endevor looked at Auka, who looked at him,

"He wanted to make Auka a rider, and I wouldn't take it." Auka surpressed a shiver.

"Why not?" Brom's voice was dry, "She would be fallowing her father."

"Brom, I was forced into serving Galbatroix. Do you think I want my daughter being forced like that, hell no!" Endevor shook his head, "Hate me all you want, I'll live." Brom narrowed his eyes, studying the man before him, then he looked at Auka, then back, before heaving a sigh.

"I believe you, but what of the oath you had to take? Does that not bind you?"

"The fool lifted it." Endevor growled, "Once the riders were dystoryed, he figured I would stay with him." Brom laughed, shaking his head.

"That is the stupidest thing Galbatroix might have ever done." Endevor nodded in agreeance. Then looked at her,

"Auka, why don't you go to your room or something?"

"Erm, okay." She replied, inching off.

* * *

"Auka?"

"Yeah?" Auka asked, looking at Eragon. The two were pretty good freinds, they weren't quite sure _why_, but they really didn't care.**(1)**

"Has your stone done anything...strange?"

"No.." Auka replied, knitting her eyebrows, "Why?" She watched Eragon's face fall.

"Nothing.." He muttered, lookng away. Auka stared at him sternly.

"Comeon Eragon, what happened?" The boy hesitaited, before he spoke,

"It hatched."

"It _what!_"

"It hatched, now keep your voice down, jeez...it was a dragon egg Auka!"

"Whoa." She blinked slowly, "You don't have a mark on your palm do you?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"It's the sign of the rider, keep it well covered."

"M'kay." Eragon replied, and Auka started back to the travern, "Where're you going?"

"To check on _my _stone!"

"I'll come with!"

"No, no." Auka shook her head, "I'll tell you what happens when I get out, okay?"

"Alright." Eragon shrugged. Auka jogged to the traven, dashing up the stairs and going to her room.

The first thing she saw was the dark green shatters lying around the room, and she felt faint. _Great gods. _She thought, _Mine was a dragon egg too! _Carefully, she stepped inside and closed to door, lookng around carefully. Then, she spotted it, it was sleeping, curled up on her pillow.

"Hey little guy!" Auka said, smiling, he looked so cute. The little whelp stired and looked at her, tilting it's head to the side, then it jumped down and ran to her. Auka kneeled down, streaching out her hand to let the dragon sniff it. The dragon did, the touched her palm with it's muzzle. Auka let out a quiet yelp as her arm went numb, then it felt tinglely. She looked at her palm in horror, she was a dragon rider now. Then she looked down at her dragon, which was looking at her in worry. It was a dark green, with silver claws and spikes. She could also see little fangs sticking out of it's mouth. **(2) ** She felt another mind brush her's, and she reconized it as the dragon's. She could tell the thing was hungry.

"But we gotta move you.." She fumed, then grabbed her bag. "Alright, I know you'll hate this, but my dad can't know about you...yet...so, inside you go!" The dragon snorted at her, looking confused. She sighed, and gently reached out with her mind. She tried to explain that the dragon whelp needed to get into the bag, and finaly, it understood. Once it was comfortable, the girl stood up and headed downstairs. Where she ran into her father, carefully hiding her palm, she smiled at him.

"Hey dad." She greeted him, Endevor raised an eyebrow,

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing!"

Endevor snorted, "Right."

"Dad..." Auka sighed. "Comeon!"

"Alright, alright!" The man chuckled, "Off with you then.." Auka quickly obayed, racing outside.

"Hey Eragon.." The girl looked at him, "Mine hatched too!"

"Did it give you a mark too?"

"Yeah." The two just stood there, feeling completely lost. Then, a voice that Auka had almost forgotten carried over to them,

"Auka! Is that you?" The girl turned to see Ellie running over to her, grinning. Auka could see her mother and father specking to Horst.

"Ellie! Why are you guys here?"

"Galbatroix has started 'collecting' nobles after you two disappered. My parents saw the dangor, and we snuk off."

"I see. Well, Ellie, this is Eragon, Eragon, meet Ellie." The two exchanged smiles, Auka just rolled her eyes.

"Well, that's cool and all, but Auka and I have to go."

"Why?" Eragon looked at Auka, the girl just grinned,

"Because we have two dragon whelps to hide."

"WHAT!" Auka cried, her eyes lightig up, "I'm coming! I swear to the gods that I won't tell anyone, _please?_?"

"Well.." The two other kids exchanged a long look, before they relented.

"Fine." Eragon growled, "Let's go. We can hide them in the spine."

* * *

"This place is cool!" Auka annouced, looking around the huge forest.

"That's not what most people say." Eragon laughed, looking around, "Now, I know of a little cave...there!" He led the girls over to it, it was small, but dry.

"It'll work." Auka agreed. Letting her dragon crawl out of the pack. Eragon whistled, and a whelp that was slightly larger whelp climb out, it was blue. The two whelps squicked, and touched muzzles.

"Ohhh, that's soo cute!" Ellie giggled. Auka rolled her eyes. Both whelps were slightly larger than a cat, but Auka notcied diffrences about them. Eragon's whelp was stockier and larger, looking more powerful than her's. Her whelp was longer, but slimer, and he had the little fangs jutting out from his upper jaw, Eragon's whelp lacked this.

* * *

Over the next month, the children established a routine. One day, Eragon would go into the spine and feed/teach them, and the next Auka, sometimes with Ellie, would go and feed/teach them. They would trade on and off. The dragons grew like weeds, soon reaching up to their elbows. However, Auka was doing her day, and she was explaining, with great diffacultly, her father and Chev to her whelp, while Eragon's was off flying.

Auka sent the whelp an image of the dragon on the front of the book, the whelp cocked it's head, snorting. Then it sent her an image of a rider on a dragon. Auka nodded.

_I am Chev. _The young male declared.

"What?"

_My name. My name is Chev. _The whelp declared.

"Wha? But there was a dragon who already _had _that name!"

_Too bad! _The dragon sniffed. _Saphira has name. _

"Well, yeah...you can have a name too!"

_My name is Chev._

"But there is a dragon named Chev already!"

_Was. _The whelp replied smoothly. Auka groaned,

"Fine. You can be Chev. Atleast you look like him."

_I win. _Chev hummed, weaving it's head back and forth. Auka just rolled her eyes, but she could feel the pride coming off her dragon in waves.

"Don't get too full of yourself ...Chev."

_Sorry. _He apalogised, then looked up as Saphira landed. _Saphira, I am Chev._

_Chev? _Saphira cocked her head, _I like it. _

Auka smiled at them, they talked like smart little children, it was cute. She didn't want to leave...but she had too. "Hey you two!" The two whelps looked at her, "I gotta go okay?"

_Alright. _Saphira said, springing back into the air. Chev, being the good whelp that he was, walked up to her.

_Goodbye Auka. I will see you the day after tomarrow._

_Goodbye Chev. _Auka replied, gently resting her hand on her dragon's muzzle before she left.

* * *

As Auka walked into town she forze. Eragon was standing beside Brom and Endevor, and judging by the look on his face, they were in trouble. Ellie was there too, and she was finding her boots quite intresting. Auka sighed, before walking down the well packed snow street and approching them.

"Alright." Brom said, "Now that we are all here. We need to have a talk."

"Why?" All three asked innocently. They had been carefull the Eragon would stay in town when the girls left to see the dragons, or that the girls would stay in two when Eragon left to see the dragons, so people didn't get too suspiocous.

"We've noticed that you three have beeen sliping off into the spine lately." Brom explained, Eragon opened his mouth to speck, but Brom signaled for him not to, "Eragon, even if you are a hunter, it's a dangrous place. Now I'm specking for your uncle, you spend too much time there."

"Yes, and you two are scareing me." Endevor looked at the two, "Every other day you're gone for almost the whole day!"

"Aye, it's as if you three are taking turns on somthing." Brom sighed.

"I like the spine," Ellie admitted, "It's a cool place."

"That's the _Problem!_" Endevor sighed. "You three probly think it's just romors, but it's not.**(3)** That place is not safe. If you got lost in there, even _if _you know how to hunt, you'd likely die. Listen to me you three, please, you can go there, but don't spend so much time in there!" The three kids shared long looks, before looking down.

"Alright." They muttered.

"Thank you." Brom and Endevor sighed in relief. Then they shooed off the kids, however, they ment not far away.

"Now what?" Ellie said, frowning, "We can't go see the dragons so much now!"

"Perhaps...er...well, we can speck over long distances now, can't we?" Eragon reminded her.

"Well, yeah, but then _I _can't talk to them! I don't have a connection!" Ellie said, her eyes getting watery.

"Well, I'll take you there sometime, but Eragon's right. He and I can speck to our dragons over our link, but we'll have to wait along time until you and I can go, else _they_," Auka motioned to Brom and Endevor, who were standing infront of the tarven, talking. "Will get suspicous."

"And I can always go 'hunting' there." Eragon reminded them.

"Yeah, but you can't go too often, and you always have to bring back food."

"Well," Eragon sighed, "That's ture." With that, the three decided to do just that. Ellie's parents were staying in the tavern as well, so she came with Auka, they were sharing a room.

"What're you writing?" Auka asked, peeking over her freind's shoulder. Ellie gave her an irritaited glance, before replying,

"In my _diary._ A lot of people keep them you know."

"Cool!" Auka studied it, "Can I have one?"

"Ask your father. I'm sure he has some blank books."

"Blank books? I thought we were talking about diaries."

"No," Ellie sighed, "Must I talk to you like a five year old? I swear! Anyways, a blank book _is _a diary before you write in it, understand?"

"Ohh!" Auka groaned, "I really am not that smart, am I?" Ellie laughed,

"You're not _dumb_, you just...excel in other things."

"Yeah, that sounds right." Auka agreed, leaning back, before she tucked her legs up to her chest and carefully let her mind streach, she soon ment Chev's mind.

_Hey Chev. _She greeted him.

_Hello Auka. You feel sad?_

_Aye, I can't come see you for a long time Chev._

_WHY! _Auka flinched at his anger,

_I'm sorry Chev. But my father, he is getting worried. Please understand!_

_Very well. _Chev reasoned, but Auka could still feel his rage, _What about Saphira's rider and her?_

_Eragon? It'll be awhile before he can see her too._

_Saphira is treatening to fly right over there and kidnap him._

_Well, tell her not too. Otherwise we won't be able to see you for even a longer amount of time. _Auka could feel panic welling up in her,

_I understand, I will try to explain. _Chev was silent for a few minutes, but then he came back, _She is very displeased, but she is willing to wait. I think she is specking to her rider right now._

_I see. Chev, I must go alright?_

_Alright, goodnight Auka._

_Good night Chev. _With that, Auka snapped the connection.

"How'd it go?" While Auka had been in her traslike state, Ellie had sarted drawing a picture of some sort.

"They're not happy, but they'll put up with it." Auka reported, peeking over her shoulder, "Who is that?" The girl Ellie was drawing was pretty, Auka could see that much.

"You."

"What! I'm not _that _pretty!" Auka stared hard at the picture.

"Sure you are." Ellie gave her a playful look, "With that copper hair in those perfect little waves, and your just the right hight, and heck, those eyes look like Chev's scales!"

"Um..." Auka blinked in shock, "Thanks?"

Ellie laughed, "No problem, now stay still so I can finish this!" Auka rolled her eyes, but obayed.

* * *

**(1) **These two will be good freinds through the story. But they won't fall in love. No, Eragon's gonna have another sweetie.. 

**(2)** Just...it's a dragon built for speed and agility, while Saphira is for more brute streangth. With the fang part, just think of a saber tooth tiger.

**(3)**There's nothing dangrous in the spine, Brom and Endevor know the kids are hiding something, and are trying to stop them from whatever they are doing. (they don't know.)

Bah, two chapters in one day. I think I have a headache, but my mind wouldn't rest. Hope you like it! I think I finally started a story that I won't be able to stop typing about...so...I'll probbly update in a day or two. :) R/R (it keeps me typing)


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter is when Auka breaks away from Eragon's storyline. You'll still hear about him here and there, but it'll be awhile before they meet up again. **

**Dragon Rider of Alagaesia:** Thanks, and I mean the first female in the next generation, sorry about that.

**JustMyLuck**: If my computer crashes as much as it has been doing, and I have to keep retyping my chapters, I'm not sure how fast I can update. Thanks for the encouragement!

I own Auka and Endevor, and Chev, and Ellie, no one else. BlahBlahBlah

_Finally! You come!_ Chev landed next to Auka, stiring up her hair.

"Thanks, Chev." Auka replied, her hair now messed up beyoud belief. She straightened it out somewhat, smiling at her dragon. _You grew like a weed._

_I'll take that as a compliment._ The green dragon snorted. Auka mearly gave him a 'that's what I ment!' look. _You've gotten taller._

_And you've gotten...huger._ Auka replied, _It's only been what? A month, and you're...huge._

_You should see Saphira, she's-_

_Pretty and powerful._ The blue dragon inturupted from where she lay.

_Yeah...what she said._ Chev stated. Auka laughed.

_How's Eragon been doing? _Auka asked Saphira, climbing up onto Chev's back.

_He's alright, he says his uncle's knee's acting up again._ Saphira stood up, shaking herself like a dog to get all the dirt out of her scales, _I'm hungry, so I'm going hunting, see you later!_

_Bye._ Auka replied as Saphira launched into the air and was soon gone.

_Auka, I have a question._ Chev stated, shifting his weight benegth her.

"Yes?" Auka asked.

_Are we going to stay here forever?_

_Did you ask Saphira to leave?_

_Yes._ Chev replied, embarrased and alittle guility.

_Well, to answear your question, I'm not sure. _ She sighed, abseintly tracing the dragon's scales, _My father doesn't even know about you._

_Why don't you tell him?_ Chev asked. Auka didn't reply. _You're scared?_

_My father risked his life to keep me from being a Dragon Rider._ She explained, _I'm not sure how he'll take it with me being a Dragon Rider, plus, I've been lying to him ever since I bought you._

_I still can't believe you BOUGHT me._ Chev sounded sad.

_Ah, don't worry._ Auka replied, patting him on the shoulder, _I just didn't know who you were. Just be glad no one from the Empire saw you first._

_That would be scary._ Chev agreed, shivering. Auka didn't blame him. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. Chev had become her closest freind, almost like a brother to her. Eragon, Saphira, and Ellie were close, but just alittle farther away. The two, the green dragon and the young girl rider, stayed in the clearing for about two hours, before Eragon bust into the clearing, breaking the peaceful calm.

"There's a weird group of people in town!" He declared. "They're asking about a 'blue stone.'"

"You mean Saphira's egg?" Auka asked, straightening. Eragon nodded, looking worried.

"Yeah, I'm going to go find her, then go to Garrow's farm, I'm worried that evil butcher might talk too much." Eragon explained.

"Then _go._ We're not stopping you." Auka replied, watching as Eragon made a beeline into the Spine.

_I hope Endevor's alright._ Auka fretted.

_I'm sure he'll be fine._ Chev asured her. Auka shook her head,

_I bet that 'weird group of people' were from the Empire._

_Who knows? _Chev replied, heaving a sigh. They watched as, off in the distance, Saphira circled and landed. Auka sat up straighter on Chev's back, thinking.

_What about Ellie! Oh gods, I hope they don't hurt her!_ Auka fretted. She didn't want them to do anything to her best freind, that was for sure.

_Quit fretting._ Chev snapped, _You're giving me a headache._

A few minutes later, they watched as Saphira lept back into the air, except, she had a passenger.

_Did Eragon catch a lift to Garrow's?_ Auka asked, confused.

_Judging by the direction they're going, no._ Chev replied, seemingly worried. _I can't talk to her, her mind's barred. This might be bad._

_No duh._ Auka replied, then grinned. _You know what this calls for?_ Chev mearly snarled in reply, rising up on his hind feet and leaping into the air. Auka laughed as the wind caught in her already windblown hair. She had ridden Chev once before, but then she had had a piece of leather to sit on, saving her legs. Chev was a much smoother flyer than Saphira, and Auka thanked the gods for that at the moment. The only problem was that today was a windy day, and Saphira had a much easier time racing through the winds than the much lighter Chev, who was being tossed around slightly.

Chev was slowly gaining, but Auka was beginning to feel the pain in her legs, finally, they saw Saphira land.

_Good, she landed._ Auka let out a breath of relief.

_Should I-_

_Leave._ The command was filled with such rage and hate that Chev slamed on the brakes.

_Was that Saphira?_ Auka asked, gripping Chev's spike tighter.

_Yup._ Chev replied, then paused for a moment, _I think we should head her order and head back. Eragon's alright, otherwise Saphira wouldn't be._ Auka frowned, thinking, before she nodded.

_Alright._ Chev circled around and started back in the direction of Carvahall. They flew in silence, both deeply worried about Saphira and Eragon. Auka, however, pushed the tought out of her mind. She and Chev both agreed to land near Carvahall, where Auka would go into town and see what these 'weird group of people' are.

Once they neared Carvahall, Auka left Chev on strict orders to stay hidden. She slipped into town, and instantly knew something was wrong. A whole crowd of people were outside, a sense of fear and disbalief in the air. She slowed her steps, confused. Finally, Tara spotted her and rushed over.

"Thank god they didn't take you!" Tara said, hugging her.

"Take me? What are you talking about?" Auka questioned, confused. Then she spotted Horst on the ground, nursing a burn that looked like it had been inflicted with magic.. "Oh no." She whispered, feeling her heart clentch. She pulled away from Tara, looking up at the crowd,

"Where's my dad?" She demanded shakily. No, it couldn't be. _No, no, no.._ It just kept repeating over and over again in her head.

"Auka, I'm sorry...some man, with red hair and eyes came, he took him away, and the other family, Ellie and.." But she stopped when Auka looked away. "I'm sorry." She murmered. Auka felt her throat tighten, and gently pushed away Chev when he tried to come in. She felt her world crumbling around her.

"He won't let them live." She whispered painfully. She saw Tara duck her head.

"Horst tried to stop him, but he shot a fireball out of his hand." Tara said softly. Auka laughed drily,

"That was a small fireball for Durza to use." She shook her head, "Horst is lucky to be alive."

"You know this odd man?"

"He's not an _odd man, _he's a shade. Dark magic users, demons." Auka glared at the ground, curling her hands in fists.

------------------------

"Do you want anything to eat?" Tara asked quietly from where she was standing over the stove.

"No, that's alright." Auka replied, stareing at her hands in her lap. She knew she was on the brink of crying, but she knew she had to be strong.

_We have to leave._ Chev growled in her mind, _They might come back._

_I know._ Auka replied weakly. _I know._ She straightened, forcing her pain to the back of her head, knowing her father, he'd hate to see her crying. _We're getting them back!_

_Whoa, back it up!_ Chev snorted, _We don't stand a chance!_

_What if one of them gets dumped along the road, left for dead even though their still alive._ Auka reminded him, _Durza seems to love doing that._

_Fine, fine. We'll trail them, but that's it._ Chev growled, _But if you want to catch them, we'd better get moving. _

_Agreed._ Auka stood up, and smiled weakly at Tara, "I need some freash air." She explained quietly. Tara nodded in understanding, and Auka left. She hated lying to the kind woman, but Tara wouldn't let her leave. She went upstairs, walking into her room, which was still a mess, but her secret hiding spot was still there. She reached outside her window, finding a small gap in the wall. From there she pulled out her grey sword, then a small dagger. After slipping into a tunic and pants, she strapped on her sword, and slipped the dagger into it's holder. She was glad her father had prepaired her for fighting, it was as if he knew they would come. She froze mid braiding with her hair. _Is that possible? Could he have known that they would have came for us?_ She shook the thought out of her head, and quickly finished braiding, before she flicked that behind her shoulders and slipped out of the room. From there she snuck outside and almost made it out of Carvahall,

"Going somewhere?" A voice behind her made her whirl around. She relaxed when she saw Brom, "Heading off to rescue a certain buch of freinds?"

"It would be suicide to do such." Auka replied slowly, "No, I am leaving."

"Where?" Brom demanded, coming up to her.

"I know how to live on my own." Auka replied, "I'll go somewhere. Durza and his freinds will be back."

"Perhaps." Brom replied, she could see a bit of saddness in the man's eyes, "I cannot stop you, but can you do one thing?"

"Whats that?"

"Let me see your palms."

"Alright." Auka calmly lifted up her hands, palm up. Her palms were untouched. "I'm not a Rider." She said in amusment.

"Who said I was looking for the mark of the Dragon Rider?" Brom asked, his eyes glinting. Auka sighed,

"I'm not a Rider." She stated boldly, "Alright? That's why we left Uru'baen in the first place, so I _don't_ become a Rider."

"Shame, I have a feeling you'd make a great rider." Brom said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah," She sighed, then quickly yanked her head up, "Brom! You must check on Eragon, he needs you." She hated exposing Eragon like this, but he needed someone to train him, and like she had her father, he can have Brom. The old man looked shocked, but he still nodded.

"Alright." He replied, slowly. Auka smiled at him, before she turned and left.

A mile away, with the sun fully set, Auka ment up with Chev. He had grabbed her piece of leather.

_It won't hold for long._ He growled. _You're going to have to skin some deer or somthing._

_We can stop near a town and I'll head in and buy some leather._ Auka replied,

_Yes, that's great and all, _Chev replied as Auka climbed on, _But how do we make one?_

_It can't be THAT hard, don't worry._ Auka replied. _I'm ready._ Chev snorted,

_Fine, but I have one question,_ Chev gave her a sideways glance, _How have you hidden the rider's mark?_

_It will only be shown by wine._ Auka replied, _My father told me about it. He told me Brom does the same thing._

_Intresting._ Chev snorted, before he rose into the air, and they started south.

**It's alittle shorter than what I usually write, but it just turned 11:01 where I am, so I suppose I should stop. Read and Reveiw as always, and I'll try as hard as I can to update. But there's a horse show coming up that I have to go to, then one of my freind's are going to be off at her brother's wedding, so I have to watch her animals, then my brother and sister will most likely be on...sigh I'll try!**


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter is short, but I'm tired, so I'm not going to sit at the computer for long. I need to sleep more. **

-----

Auka handed over the money, before she slung the newly bought leather over her shoulder. She had finally decided that she needed a saddle, after quite a few miles were put on a couple diffrent pieces of leather..

Durza and his gang had yet to leave anybody by the roadside, a relief and worry for Auka. For one, that means that no one is dead, but on the flip side, that means they are probly having a very painful life.

She and Chev had, as far as she was concerned, became masters of hiding and tracking. Chev had grown to become a silent flier while Auka could recognize tracks rather quickly. They had learned these after a few close calls, once where Auka had actaully looked one of Durza's friends in the face, luckily, he hadn't recognized her. He had just shooed her off with a sharp sword.

_I'm glad we learned._ Auka thought tiredly, _Otherwise, we'd probly be joining the people we are trying to help._ The trip had changed her as well already, she was 'skinny' acording to Chev, and a lot more swifter and stronger. She had grown from the 'perfect' height that Ellie had told her about to being taller than average, by quite a bit. She didn't mind though, men tended to respect taller women.

_It's a relief we found this little trading post._ Chev clicked in, _I'm not sure if that leather would have held up till Dras-Leona._

_Yeah._ Auka sighed, _Durza?_

_Traveling to Dras-leona, he's seemed to have picked up the pace however._ Chev growled in her mind, _Inferiating man, I must say._

_You've never even ment him yet. How do you think I feel about him?_ Auka replied, stepping into the trees, out of site from the post. _I'll meet up with you about a mile out, how's that?_

_Fine by me._ Chev replied. Auka tilted her head back, and could just see what looked like a tiny bird miles above her. She smiled, she knew that a green scaled dragon flew there, not a tiny, harmless bird. But passer byers did not know such. It had been Chev's plan, so he didn't have to lose sight of her.

Auka continued her trek, enjoying the weather that spring gave her. She had always loved spring, it had amused her father quite abit. Once she got into a clearing, well out of site of the trading post, she and Chev ment up.

Chev himself had grown quite a bit, even more speed freindly. His fangs now hung two feet out of his mouth, and his wings were angled back slightly, like a hawk's. His body was slimer than most, and his tail was just about as long as his body. Even the spikes along his back slanted almost flat to his body. Auka shook her head, and set down the leather.

_Now, let's think._ Auka fumed. Placing her hands on her hip, _How to make it._...

_Well, first, where are you going to sit?_ Chev snorted.

_Alright.._

Four hours later, they had basically a horse saddle. They had only added straps to hold her legs in. Chev shifted slightly, before nodding.

_It doesn't restrict my movement any._ He growled. _Try it out._

"Alright," Auka climbed up, then tightened the straps on her legs. "Ready." Chev snorted, then lept into the air. Auka clung on, the wind whiping her in the face. _Try doing a belly roll and a loop, we need to see if it works just fine. _Chev obayed, the saddle was fine for a belly roll and a loop, but when Chev pointed his nose to the air and tail to the ground, and saddle slipped right off of him. Auka felt herself falling before she noticed it. "Chev!" She screamed.

She felt his strong claws grip around her just before she collided with the trees and their branches. He set down carefully, before releasing her.

_Are you alright?_ He asked nervously.

_Just a heart attack._ Auka replied weakly, trying to catch her breath, _Thanks Chev._

_If you would have died, I would have too._ Chev pointed out mildly. Auka just smiled at him.

----

"There! It shouldn't move now." Auka declaired, stepping back to servey her newest work. They had taken some more straps of leather and had made a piece that went through Chev's front legs, and devided on the middle on his chest and attached to either side of the saddle. "Ha! That better not move!" She declaired. "How's it feel?" Chev moved around some, even flexing his wings.

_It's alittle tight around the wings._ He reported, _But I think once we use it enough it won't bother me._

"Alright!" Auka declaired, climbing up. "Let's try it out!"

_Is that wise? You almost died last time._ Chev asked, giving her a side ways look.

"Sure! We need to find out if it works or not!"

_Did you lose your brain when you fell?_

"Chev."

_Fine._ The green dragon flexed, before leaping into the air. Once they were at a height that Chev could safely grab her if she fell again, he stopped. _Here it comes!_ He warned. First, he did a loop, then moved smoothly into a belly roll. The saddle held firm. Then, Chev went into his rise. Auka held her breath as the saddle didn't even shift. It made it all the way, but when Chev slamed on the brakes as he usually does, the saddle slipped forward, jamming his spike into her stomech. She yelped, _What is it?_ Chev asked,

_Go..straight down._ She ordered. Chev obayed, going vertical. The saddle slid back, releasing her from his spike. She winced. _You spiked me._ She said drily.

_Sorry,_ He said, turning his head slightly to look at her, _I should have payed attion._

_How were you supposed to know?_ She demanded, _Comeon, let's land, and we'll think of something._ She sighed, _This is turning into a huge waste of time._

_Would you rather have your legs skinned?_ Chev reminded her. Auka just sighed.

----

Three hours later, after doing some 'modifications' to the saddle, Auka safely rode out a dive, rise, belly roll, and loop.

"YES!" She screamed, tossing her hands up into the air, "I've discovered the Dragon Saddle!"

_That's great._ Chev replied, _Now did you __**have**__ to blow out my eardrums like that?_

"Sorry." Auka replied in her average tone. She leaned back in the saddle, enjoying her new freedom. _Now let's catch up with Durza and Freinds, alright?_ Chev replied with a roar, before he flew his fastest, which was quite fast.

-----

Three days later, Auka and Chev were standing side by side, looking down at Dras-Leona.

_Are you sure he's here?_ Auka asked.

_Positive. I saw their little caravan walk right in._ Chev replied. _Be careful Auka._

_As always._ Auka replied, patting him on the shoulder. She then left him, starting on her trek to the city.

She wondered if she'd find her father laying on one of the streets, or any one else. Half of her didn't want to find any of them, yet the other half wanted her to, so she could watch over them and heal them. She prayed none of them were dead, even Ellie's parents, who she did not know well, were prayed for. They were still related to Ellie, and she wished her freind as little pain as possible.

Her father..she didn't even dare go there. She was fairly certain that he was still alive. Galbatroix couldn't be _that_ mad could he? To kill his own brother. Then again, he had killed his brother's dragon, and scared him beyond belief. So, well, he was kinda unpredictable. Then again, went all madmen?

She arived in Dras-leona an hour later, and comenced her search. Five hours later, just as she was about to turn out of an alley-way, she heard the 'thump' of something heavy being tossed outside. With a beating heart she wirled around, and was disapointed to see only a bag. Then, she watched as something wrapped in black cloth fallowed it, crashing to the ground limply. She gulped. It looked the perfect size for a human being. She watched as the man who had tossed them closed the door, then, after one more look around, she walked up to it.

Slowly, she kneeled beside the object, tossing a few prayers to any god she knew off, and drew back the cloth...

**The End! No, I'm kidding. Well, the end for the chapter, but if you review, I'll contine. :) Any guesses on who it is?**

**-Tall Star**


	5. Chapter 5

First, she saw long hair, second, she saw her face.

"Ellie, oh gods." Auka quickly picked her up. The girl was rather skinny, and hung limp in her arms. "Ellie, can you hear me?" Auka demanded. She saw the girl's eyes flicker.

"The...bag." She groaned. Auka frowned at her, before picking up the bag that had been tossed out before her. She raced out of the city, ignoring the looks she recived because of the blacked out girl she carried.

An hour later, they ment up with Chev. Auka set Ellie down, before she leaned back with ragged breath. Carrying her and whatever was in that bag was hard.

_ Her heart still beats._ Chev reported.

"That's great to know." Auka replied sarcastically. Then, she leaned over Ellie, serveying the many touture wounds that were on her, "Chev, I'll need your help." Auka told him, summoning up every scrap of streagth she could muster.

She held the many that crossed Ellie's back, then got some minor ones before she was forced to stop. Chev growled once they were done.

_ I'm going to go hunting._ He stated, before flying off. Auka sighed, leaning agaist a tree truck for support. Knowing Chev, all the magic using had made him hungry. She gazed at Ellie, who's breath had finally evened out. She heaved a sigh, and slowly slid into a deep sleep.

_ Auka! Auka, wake up you lazy bumb on a log!_ A voice jerked Auka out of her sleep. Chev stood before her.

"Wha?"

_ First thing, Ellie's waking up. Second thing, Durza is no longer in Dras-leona._ _He took off galloping in the direction of Gil'ead._

"Ellie's waking up?" Auka asked, stumbling over to her freind, whose eyes had just flickered open.

"Mmm..." She blinked as Auka bent over her, "Auka? Have I died?"

"No, silly!" Auka laughed, "Chev and I saved you!"

"Saved...wait...I didn't die?"

"Nope." Auka smiled, "You just finally have woken up."

"Where's everyone else?"

"Still under Durza's control." Auka explained, helping her freind sit up.

"Back it up," Ellie held up her hands, "Explain..slowly."

Fifteen minutes later, the two girls sat in silence. Chev shifted slightly.

"How are we both going to fit on him?" Ellie asked Auka, stareing at Chev.

"I'm not sure." Auka replied, "Chev, can you handle two?"

_ I can try_. The dagon stood up, shaking himself.

"He's willing to try it out." Auka stated,

"Not right _now._ I still need to rest!"

"Oh yeah." Auka and Chev shared an amused glance.

Four days later Ellie was ready to try. Auka strapped herself into the saddle, and convinced Ellie to sit behind her. The two girls gave their words to Chev, who then leaped into the air. Sure, he was _alot_ louder, but he still stayed in the air.

_ I don't get it._ Auka told Chev, _Eragon said that Brom said that a dragon can't carry two people until their almost a year old!_

_ Well,_ Chev did a belly roll, earning a scream from Ellie, _ think he was talking about the heavy dragons like Saphira. They have smaller wings than me, and weigth more too. I suppose I can carry weight sooner due to that._

_ I can't remember Saphira's wings being any smaller than your's!_

_ Oh, they were, by a good two feet on each wing atleast._ Chev gave her a sideways look, _But where are we going now?_

_ What do you mean? Aren't we fallowing Durza?_ She heard Chev sigh,

_ Were you not listening to me!_ He growled, _I said Durza left galloping towards Gil'ead this mourning. I saw him leaving while I was out hunting. He left everyone else in Dras-Leona._

_ Everyone else? So there's just humans gruarding them now.._

_ Don't even think about it. Maybe if you train Ellie in it, but not till then._ Chev inturupted her plans.

_ Fine._ Auka turned and grinned to Ellie, "Training starts tomarrow."

"Training? What?" Ellie blinked at her.

"You'll find out." Auka grinned evily.

"I'm scared for my life now." Ellie stated, seeing Auka's grin.

_ You should be._ Chev told her.

"Comeon, you gotta strike better than that!" Auka urged her freind, who glared.

"I'm trying!"

"Well, try alittle harder!" Auka took up a defense stance, and Ellie striked once again. They had been praticing for sevrel days now, and the little carvan was getting dangrously close to Uru'baen. Auka still was much, much better than Ellie, but she was improving. However, she matched Auka on bow and arrow skills. But with daggers...Auka tested her on them, and declaired that Ellie should never, ever, have daggers.

After a few more minutes of dueling, they relaxed around the fire, watching the stars just beginning to show themselves.

"Auka?"

"Hm? The said girl asked, looking at her freind,

"You _did_ grab the bag, right?"

"Uh..yeah." Auka stood up, walking over to the saddlebags attached to Chev. The dragon fallowed her with his silvery eyes. _Where did I put it?_

_ Left back._ The dark green dragon replied easily. Auka thanked him, before she pulled out the bag.

"What's in it?" She asked.

"Something important." Ellie replied.

"Then why did they toss it out?" Auka asked, handing her freind the bag.

"Your father and I switched it when they weren't looking." She explained, "So, they thought they were trowing out trash, and they were really throwing out something that the king would _love._"

"And that would be...?" Auka asked. Ellie grinned and reached inside, before she pulled out a round object. Auka felt her eyes widen.

"Is that.."

"Maybe." Ellie replied, unwraping it. In her hands was a gold stone, slightly smaller than Chev's old egg. "But I'm not sure it _is_ a dragon egg, I mean...didn't you discribe Chev's egg as larger than this?"

"Uh huh, and they had spider web things over them." Auka agreed, taking the stone in her hands.

"Then what is it? It's hallow!"

"Chev? Will you look at this?" Auka asked him. The dragon heaved himself to his feet, walking over and sniffing the egg.

_ It smells of dragons._ He reported. Auka translated for Ellie, who frowned.

"Then it's a dragon egg, right?" She asked.

"I'm not sure." Auka replied, weighing it with her hand, "Does the kidnappers know about this? I mean, the switch?"

"They shouldn't. They were talking about waiting for Uru'baen to unveil it." Ellie smiled at the thought, "It's going to be hilaious, they're going to open the bag up before the king, to find that they're giving him garbage!" Auka snickered at the face Galbatroix would make.

"I actully pity them." Auka replied, laughing.

"Me too." Ellie replied, before she went to Chev, "Will you watch it?" She asked him, holding out the golden egg. The dragon hesitaited, before nodding and taking the egg gently in his mouth, before he set it btween his from paws. "'Night." She went to her bedroll.

_ I wonder when it'll hatch._ Auka thought to her dragon as she curled up by his side. He draped his wing over her.

_ It will either hatch if it finds it's rider, or if the time is right._ Chev growled gently, nudging the egg. _It all depends if it was promised to be riden or not._

_ Were you?_

_ Did I not make you my rider? _Chev stared at her in amusment.

_ I mean, you can make a dragon your rider, even if the dragon was not ment to be one, if you get there soon enough, right? _

_ No._ Chev snorted, _It's all the dragon's choice._ Then he paused, and shook his head, _No, I mean, it's the dragon's parents' choice. They chose if the whelp will be bonded to another or not._

_ How do you know this?_

_ You've told me about it from time to time. You have just forgot, and I have remembered._ He sighed. _I feel as if I should know more, however._

_ Who knows? There could be a dragon centeries of years old just waiting to train you!_ Auka patted him gently on the stomech, _Night._

_ Night little one._ Chev replied.

_ Little one?_

_ Yes, little one._

(Three days later)

"Ready Ellie?" Auka asked her freind as they walked down the streets of Uru'baen.

"Sure," Ellie replied, flipping her hood up, "What are we doing agian?"

"Your going into the Inn and waiting for them, I'll stay hidden outside." Auka replied easily.

"Why do I have to go in?"

"Because they'll reconize me alot quicker." Auka replied as they rounded the coner.

"Uh-huh."

"Alright, so how did you guys stay at the inns?"

"Well, they'd make us sit around while they ate and make themselves almost drunk, then they'd bring us up to the single room we all shared."

_ So our chance to strike would be either while they are sitting around, or when they are moving upstairs, correct? _Chev asked.

"Yeah." Ellie and Auka said at the same time. They shared an amused glance, before they stopped before the Inn. Silently, they went their seprate ways.

_ Be careful Ellie._ Auka told her.

_ I'll try!_ Ellie replied. Auka busied herself with stareing at a nearby vender, looking at the books. Then, she spotted a worn one, she picked it up, stareing at the title.

"_Du Wyrda Shur'tugal._" Auka blinked, _The fate of the dragon Rider? Am I reading that right?_

"Sorry girlie, but you'll have ta buy it to read it." The vender inturupted her thoughts.

"How much?" She asked, running her hand over the surface.

"Seeing as I can't read any of it? Ten crowns." She sighed, as much as she wanted it, she had to hold onto the money they had.

"Hm, too bad." Auka sighed, setting the book down. Then, an idea came to her. She played with the words, before holding her hand over the book when the vender wasn't looking,

_ "Lock this book."_ She said, watching as the book shimmered before looking normal again. She sighed, whatever was inside of the book, no one will read it, except for herself.

_ Auka! They're in!_ Ellie's voice jerked her out of her thoughts.

_ Stay hidden till I walk in. There's gonna be a fight. You have your sword? _

_ Course I have my sword, do you think I want to go back to these people?_ Ellie snapped.

_ Uh...no. Ellie, calm down!_ Auka said, feeling Ellie's anger over their weak link.

_ My mom isn't with them.._ Ellie whispered. Auka cringed.

_ Just wait Ellie, you'll get your revenge.._ Auka soothed. _Chev, can you help her? _She asked her dragon privately. She recived a reply, before Chev linked with Ellie. Chev had always been good at comforting people.

A hour later, Ellie reported that now would be the best chance. Chev had done his magic, and she wasn't as snappy and crabby as before.

_ Now is your chance. _Ellie growled, _Hurry. I want to get my sword through some skin._

_ Get ready._ Auka ordered, strolling into the Inn. She spotted the group instantly, as did her father spot her. She saw shock cross his tired face, and Auka held back a laugh. She went over to where Ellie, who had cut her long black curls short, was resting.

_ Wonder how long it will take them to reconize me._ Auka mused.

_ Not long._ Ellie replied, pushing a cup of water over to her, _Here, we only have a few more minutes. They're almost intoxicated._

_ Even in that state they'll be hard to beat._ Auka replied, surveying her enimes. _One of them looks like a shade..sort of._

_ Uh-huh, lacking the red hair though. I think he might be Durza's apprentice. Atleast that's what I gathered from my stay._ Ellie replied, then watched as the one they were specking off raised his hand. Calling out for a barmaid to bring him another drink.

"Sir, I don't think that would be wise.." She started, but the man's slurred voice inturupted her. With her advanced ridership hearing, she heard the threat, flintching.

_ What'd he say?_ Ellie asked, watching the barmaid hurry back to do the apprentice's demands.

"You don't want to know." Auka replied in a hushed tone. Ellie arched an eyebrow at her, but said nothing.

They sat there for sevrel minutes more, the burning gaze of their fathers driving into them. But both girls didn't lock eyecontact. Finally, they watched as two of the guards stumbled away, and both stood up.

_ Ready?_ Auka asked her freind, feeling the daggers hidden in her boots and up her sleeves. She hadn't brought her sword mainly because two girls with swords sitting in a coner might just be alittle strange, even for some half-way drunk guards.

_ Sure._ Ellie replied, but they were not the ones to make the first move.

"Do I know you?" Auka looked up at yet another man with red eyes, but brown hair.

_ How many are there?_ Ellie asked. Auka ignored her, reconizing him as the one that had chased her off long before.

"I don't believe so." Ellie replied, keeping her voice evened and her body relaxed, even though her hand was already wrapping around her dagger.

"What's your name girl?" He asked, smircking. Auka arched her eyebrow.

"Why would I tell you?" She asked.

"Because, Auka, I wanted to make sure." The shade in training growled.

"Good job then." Auka praised, drawing her blade and slashing it clear across his face, which had come only inches from her face. He cried out, hands flying up to cover his face. Ellie sprung up, locking blades with another guard. Auka left the apprentice, rushing over to her father, striking and leaving her dagger in the chest of a poor guard. Once she reached them, she set about cutting the ropes with yet another dagger.

"You guys gotta go." She told them as they stumbled up, "Head directly west, when you get about a mile out, Chev will arive to greet you. Don't be scared and fallow him, we'll meet up later." She ordered.

"But-" Ellie's father begun, but Endevor caught him on the arm, leading him out the door. Auka spun around, calling to Ellie, who detached herself from her fight.

"We gotta give them some time to run." Ellie panted.

"How long can you keep it up?" Auka asked her, serveying her freind's tired face.

"Not long.." Ellie replied, "I'm not some elven like girl." Auka snorted at her words.

"An elf would beat me into a pulp." Auka replied, watching as the guards stumbled back up, with the other apprentice glareing at them. His drinks seemed to have left him.

"Listen Ellie, when I tell you, you must leave too." Auka ordered.

"But-" Ellie started.

"Please?" Auka begged, "I can hold my own!"

"Alright.." Ellie replied slowly. Before she lifted her sword.

_ Ellie!_ Auka cried, blocking a sword with her only good arm she had left. _Now!_ Ellie trusted her blade through the stomech of yet another guard before she turned and ran. Auka backed away, blocking sevral swords.

"Leave her to me!" The apprentice shade shouted, "I'll take care of her. Go after the others!" The guards left, leaving Auka and him in the empty inn.

"They are coming." The shaden apprenitce sneered, "There's no chance for you to escape now. You must remember Auka, your in Uru'baen."

"Of course I know." Auka replied.

_ Ah! I see them, too close yet though.._

_ Well, he's gonna find out I'm a rider, so you might as well show yourself._ Auka replied. Chev agreed. She looked at the man before her,

"Bye." She said simply, raising her hand, "jierda!" She chanted. The shade apprentice was taken by surprise as the spell hit him, breaking his arms. Auka was not strong enough to do any thing else. The apprentice glared at her, before he quickly broke a window and dived out, after seeing her palm. Auka shook her head, before she too left.

She finally lost the mass of Guards persuing her on horseback twenty minutes later, _after_ spending gods know how long getting out of the city. By the time she was able to slow down, and sink agaist a tree, dusk had seatled amoust the land.

_ Finally got rid of them?_ Chev finally asked.

_ Uh-huh. How is everyone?_ She asked.

_ I am carrying Ellie back now._ Chev replied, _But your fathers are dumbstruck. Exspecially yours._

_ I am not surprised._ Auka replied. _Drop off Ellie, I can wait._ She said quickly, feeling the words in Chev's head.

_ Are you sure?_ He asked, sounding worried. _Your too drained to heal the wounds you have!_

_ Chev, don't worry. Oh, and tell Ellie she'll proubly have some things to say._ Auka replied. Chev was silent for a few moments,

_ Alright. She says she is ready. I will see you soon._ Chev told her, Auka accepted, and fell silent. She stared quietly as a guard rode into the clearing. She pressed harder agaist the tree, struggling to hide. She saw him look around, before he wheeled his horse and galloped away. They were _still_ looking for her! She groaned as another wave of pain washed over her, and she glared at her arm.

"Stupid thing." She growled, watching another spurt of blood come from it. She had wrapped it up as best she could in her frantic run, but it was a serious wound. If she had the energy, she would gladly heal it, but she didn't.

She sighed and buried her head in her arms, but then jerked it back up at a lash of pain from her cheek. She reached up and gingerly touched it, bringing her hand back down with the red luquid. Great, she must have more cuts than she thought. A dry smile crossed her lips.

_ Todays a wonderful day._ She thought drily, wonder what her father was thinking about. Inwardly, she was scared about what her father would have to say. Her mind warndered, dispite her effots, and she feel into a deep sleep.

_ Little one? _Chev's worried voice finally managed to pull her out, and she looked up to see an emarld face stareing at her.

"Chev?" She asked weakly, stareing at him, "How..long?"

_ I'vee been looking for you for two hours now._ He snorted, _I asked where you were, but you wouldn't respond._

"I'm sorry.."

_ Here, let me give you the streagth, and then you can heal yourself._ Chev growled. Seconds later Auka felt power rush through her body, and she healed her shoulder, along with sevrel other harmful wounds. Once she was done, she felt _alot_ better. But still to weak to fly, when she told Chev of this, he mearly nodded.

_ I will tell Ellie to wait a night with your farthers. Will you be ready by tomarrow?_

_ Positive. Already starting to feel better now._ Auka replied, smilling as he placed a wing over her. _I want to hear this._

_ If you wish._ Chev replied, drawing her mind into his, so they became one.

They reached out, finally finding Ellie's mind.

_ Chev? Thank the gods. Auka's father is having a heart attack, then again, I think I am. _Ellie sounded frantic.

_ Auka is fine. She mearly needs a night to rest._ Chev growled. _We will arrive tomarrow._

_ And how am I supposed to tell her dad that?_

_ Please?_ Chev asked. Ellie mentally sighed.

_ Okay..tell Auka that she better get better quick!_

_ I sure will._ Chev then broke the conection, Auka smiled at him slightly, before she slid into a deep sleep.

She was awoken when Chev shifted slightly. Blinking her eyes, she stared at the green wing he had placed over her. She then looked down at her clothes, which were covered in blood. She sighed. Not wanting to wake her dragon, she slipped out and stood.

The tiredness had left, but her limbs were still sore. But she _had_ to get her clothes off. Thankfully, Chev still had the bags tied to his saddle. She hurriedly took out some new clothes, and, after listening closely, located a stream.

Chev awoke just as Auka was braiding her hair.

_ Little one!_ He growled slightly, _Why didn't you wake me?_

_ I saw no need._ Auka replied, _A bath did me wonders, I must admit._ She sighed as she finished her braiding, her still wet hair damp agaist her back.

_ How do you feel?_ Chev asked, standing up and looking her in the eye.

_ My muscles hurt Chev, but nothing more. My mind is clear as well._ Auka explained. Chev hummed in delight.

_ It was a quick recovery._ He noted.

_ It was because of your help._ Auka replied, patting him on the shoulder, _Shall we head to the others, or do you wish to hunt?_

_ We can meet the others._ Chev growled. Auka grinned and climbed up, strapping herself in.

_ I wonder what they'll have to say.._ She mused as Chev lept into the air.

_ We'll find out._ Chev replied, going into his fastest flight.

They landed after only fifteen minutes and the air, and the moment Auka's feet touched ground, she was nearly sufforcated by Ellie's hugging.

"I knew you were okay!" She said.

"That's great Ellie.." Auka replied, patting her on the back, "But would you mind letting me go?" She asked, "I can't breathe!"

"Oh, sorry." Ellie replied, drawing back. "I think your dad has some questions." She motioned to her father. Auka turned to him, and, upon seeing his face, rushed forward.

He welcomed her hug, as warmly as ever. Auka had been slightly afraid that he would be mad at her, but he wasn't, she could tell that much.

"Oh, Auka." Endevor sighed, holding her at arm's length and looking her over, "What have you gotten yourself into?"

"I don't know dad." Auka replied. She heard Chev hum behind her.

_ This is cute. _Auka glared sideways at him, _I mean, well.._

_ Oh, shut up._ Auka snapped at him, _I haven't seen him in a long time!_

_ Sorry, sorry._ Chev replied. Auka turned back to her father.

"Er, have you ment him?" She asked, motioning to her dragon.

"Somewhat, but I have yet to get a name, dragon." Endevor noted, looking at the green dragon.

_ My name is Chev._ The dragon explained. _I am sorry for taking your own dragon's name, Auka told me much about him, and in my young state I-_

_ "_I will hear none of it." Endevor inturupted him gently, "You, as far as I have seen, carry his name well." Auka smiled slightly as she felt a rush of pride from Chev.

_ I like him_. Chev annoced.

_ You like any one who complamints you._

_ Not ture, I like you._ Chev replied. Auka spun on him, mouth agape.

"Oh! You little meanie! Take it back!"

_ Nope._ The dragon shot a plum of smoke out of his nose.

"That hurt you know!"

_ Really?_ Chev asked, cocking his head to the side. When Auka continued the glareing, he sighed. _Sorry._

_ It's alright._ Auka replied, _You were just joking, right?_

_ Yes._ Chev rested his head on the ground, _May I hunt?_

"You are not a whelp, you don't need my permission."

_ You are my rider. My duty is to protect you. I may only-_

"Go! You don't need to ask me again!" Auka inturupted him gently. Chev humed, before leaping off.

"Is it wise for him to hunt in daylight?" Ellie's father asked.

"He flies silently, and knows how to stay hidden." Auka replied, turning around, "How else would Ellie and I have fallowed you for monthes?"

"I still can't believe." Endevor muttered, shaking his head, "But how did two of you fit on such a young dragon?"

"Chev carries us just fine." Ellie replied.

"Uh-huh. We figured it was because of his lighter build and greater wingspan, something like that." Auka agreed. She blinked rapidly as a rush of tiredness ran over her.

"Are you okay?" Her father asked, stepping forward and allowing Auka to lean on his shoulder.

"My whole body hurts," She muttered, but then she grined, "It was worse though. I'll live."

"You should sleep." Her father ordered, bringing her over to her bedroll.

"This is kinda funny.." Ellie mused, "I mean, I was always the one being led to bed after our pratice fights...I feel alright?" Then, she shook her head and answeared her own question, "It's because she sent me off." Ellie sounded fusteraited.

Auka smiled at Ellie's words, before she felt herself slip into the void of sleep. Knowing that she was finally surounded by almost everyone she cared about made her sleep heavier than ever before.

_ I wonder how Eragon and Saphria are doing.._ Crossed Auka's mind as she awoke, the thought came from Chev however, who was simply laying where his was. Auka could feel his saddness and greif.

_ Chev?_ She asked gently, coming over to him and setting a hand on his scales.

_ It is nothing.._ Chev started, but trailed off when Auka shook her head. He sighed, _I worry something might have happened to Eragon and Saphira..I mean, they have all those posters out!_

_ We'll have them out for us too._ Auka reminded him, _There's nothing we can do about it._ Chev nodded in agreeance, hanging his massive head. Auka smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, noticeing how she almost didn't make it, her fingertips barely touched.

_ Wonder whats inside this egg. _Chev mused, nosing the egg he had once again in his paws.

_ I'm not sure..could it be a dragon?_ Auka asked him.

_ I certain it's a dragon. A __**normal**__ dragon, I'm not sure._ Chev sighed, _But I do know it's female._

_ How'd you-_

_ Dragons can tell little one._ Chev replied. Then turned and gave her a critical eye, _For a hatchling of 13, you are very mature._

_ You have to be in times like this._ Auka replied, resting her cheek on Chev's neck. _I wish I could leave it all behind, _She said softly, _Just go somewhere with everyone in this clearing._

_ We always could. _Chev told her, making her look at him, _The land east of this one is unmapped, is it not?_ Auka nodded, _Then we can go there. We could train also, your father could probly teach us what we need. _

_ But you wouldn't see Saphria! I mean-_

_ Saphira is like a sister to me, Auka, we would never be fit mates._ He let out a dragon laugh at her face, _Who knows, there could always be more dragons eastwards._

_ So, we go east?_ Auka grinned.

_ I will make you go east. You are too young to be in this war._ He shifted, _In two years, maybe, but no ealier._

_ I will speck of it to the others in the mourning._ Auka alloud, curling up agaist his belly. _No use trying to change __**your**__ mind._ Chev humed as she drifted off to sleep, lifting his head and surveying the rays of light that were just beginning to rise.

_ It is like us._ Chev thought, nosing the egg, _Starting a new life._ He then layed his head down, but did not close his eyes as the rays of sunlight slowly overcame darkness.

**  
SilverAurora, you guessed right, since you were the only one to even review, you get a cookie!!  
**

**Another chapter up...and any guesses on whats in the egg? I'm telling you, it's not your average dragon:) R/R I need TWO more reviews to update, it can't be that hard.**

**-Tall Star**


	6. Chapter 6

**I have a question, why does it seem that people write their stories at night? Atleast I do, this is the first time I'll update during the day, and I've seen quite a bit of chapters where the authors say it was like two in the morning by the time they finished it. It's kinda weird... perhaps that just when we have the time.**

**Anyways, back to the story, Ellie's daddy seems kinda mean in this chapter, but he's not Always like that...just read the chapter, okay?**

**Reviews:**

**outthere101: Alright, glad to know you 'love it', see people, that's all you need to say, it only takes, what, five minutes? Even less? Here you go,outthere, you get a cookie, fresh off the hard drive!**

**Christa: I don't think it's better than the real story, but thanks! ) Thanks to summer and the rain we've been getting, I'll be updating a bit more.**

**Keep reviewing people!**

**I don't own ****Eragon,**** or any charcters from ****Eragon.**** But I own Auka, Endevor, James, Chev, and Ellie, plus the plot. I haven't seen any other stories about Galbatroix's neaice (or nephew), if anyone does, please let me know.**

**If you read all this, thanks, if your just scrolling down to the story, I don't blame you. **

The smell of smoke and cooking meat stirred Auka out of her sleep beside her dragon, and she pried her green eyes open to see her father roasting some rabbit. She sighed, remembering back to the trip they had made from Uru'baen to Carvahall, it seemed like it was almost decades ago.

_Ah, you finally awaken little one._ Chev greeted her, _Did you sleep well?_

_Very well, you?_

_Well._ The short, clipped answer made Auka frown. But the dragon blocked her mental questions, and jerked his gaze away from her.

"Fine then." Auka replied, walking over to where her father was cooking. "Rabbit?"

"Yup." Her father smiled, "This old man can still hunt." Auka smiled breifly at him, before sitting down next to him and laying her head on his shoulder.

"I have something we all need to discuss." She explained softly.

"Do you now?"

" Well, Chev and I came up with it.." Auka explained slowly, "Our course of action, basically."

"We will listen once our stomeches are full." Endevor replied, "Your still tired."

"Uh-huh, we stayed up late." Auka agreed, streaching. "Where's Ellie's dad?"

"Off trying to find some berries, the fool was grumbling about a nutrious breakfest, obviously a noble." Endevor chuckled, "He'll get used to things soon enough." He motioned to Ellie, who was still cuddled up in a blanket, "Might want to get her up."

"Sure." Auka walked over to her friend, and attempted to shake her awake. "Ellie." Auka sighed, shaking her roughly, "_Wake up!_"

Ten minutes later Ellie sat next to the fire, still trying to stop yawning.

"Haven't slept that good in quite awhile." She muttered.

"Yeah, I know." Auka agreed, but everyone looked up as Ellie's dad walked into the clearing.

"There," He said proudly putting down his basket, which was filled with red berries, "Add some health to this meal."

"_Health?_" Endevor stated, looking at the berries, "Those things are posion."

"No such thing!" Ellie's dad argued.

"Dad, they are." Ellie explained, "Villagers and hunters always say not to eat red berries.."

"Well, I'm eating them." Her father snapped.

_What's wrong with him?_ Auka asked Ellie privately,

_He's mad I cut my hair, he's mad we can't go back to our noble life...he's just mad at life. _Ellie replied, obviously not too happy. _Give him a day too cool off._

_Or get sick._ Chev cut in, the green dragon, who had been listening through Auka, was watching the noble eat one of the berries.

_Don't say that Chev._ Auka scolded him. But silently she agreed with him.

"Well, for those of you who don't want to get sick, here you go." Endevor dished out the warm meat, which was quickly eaten by the three people, James, Ellie's dad, even ate some.

"Okay, Auka, what was this great plan you and Chev had?" Endevor asked, resting his back agaist a tree.

"Well..it's mostly Chev's, but you know that land to the East, that's unmapped?" The group nodded, "Chev wants us to go there, since we could pratice and get stronger before fighting."

"It's not that bad of an idea, seeing as your only thirteen." Endevor agreed, "James and I could assist the Varden too, seeing as you might be able to go back to Uru'baen."

"I'm going back, not sure about the Varden, they are nothing but uncivilized hunters." James scoffed.

"I'm helping." Ellie put in gently, "I don't like how things are going."

"No, your growing out that hair of yours and being a good girl, and eventully a lady, understand?" Her father snapped.

"Nope." Ellie replied, ignoring her father's glare.

"It's her choice, James." Endevor reminded him. Auka smiled slightly.

_I am glad my father isn't like this._

_Endevor knows what Galbatroix did, James's own father wasn't even around then._ Chev reminded her, _Plus, he just got ripped from his laid back, pampered life-style that his family has proubly lived for generations now, what did you think he'd be like?_

_I'm not sure. _Auka replied.

"Well," She broke into the fight Ellie and her father were slowly working up, "It doesn't matter, we're going East first, correct?"

"Yup." Ellie said before her father could open his mouth.

"That's nice and all," Endevor explained, "But James and I, plus Ellie too, need horses. Auka, it would be best for you to get one too."

_I don't mind carrying her!_ Chev broke in.

"Yes, yes, but now that she's a rider, she needs training, as does the rest of you." Endevor stated.

"And how would you know what to train, Endevor?" James challanged.

"Deloi moi." Endevor replied, the ground begun to shift under the other man, soon leaving him sitting in a two feet deep hole. "Does that answer your questions, James?" James gaped at him,

"Your a magic user?"

"I've been for many years now." Endevor replied.

"He doesn't know who you are?" Auka asked.

"Not unless Ellie told him." Endevor replied.

"Nope." Ellie answered at Auka's questioning look.

_"Oh."_ She sighed, "Alright then, but where do we get horses? We can't go back into Uru'Baen."

_I'm not sure, anyone have a map? _Chev asked.

"Here," Endevor stated, unrolling a map tucked inside of his tunic, "We're right here," He pointed to the dot.

"All the way on the wrong side." Auka sighed, "So we can either go south to Belatona, east to Dras-Leona, or north to Teirm or Gil'ead."

_Why can't we go to Furnost?_

"There'll be wanted posters out in Dras-Leona and Gil'ead, I'm sure. And..well, I have a reason to stay away from Furnost. Southwest to Belatona seems like our best plan." Endevor mused, "So we go along Leona Lake's shores then, to Belatona, east to Furnost, then.." Endevor trailed off. No doubt looking at the large gap between Furnost and the nearest town to the west, Heddarth, which, last time Auka checked, was under Varden and allies' control. "We'll have to get a few pack horses at this rate." He groaned.

"You guys, can you look at Dad?" Ellie's scared voice inturupted them. Auka looked to see James out cold in his little two feet hole.

"Intresting, I must have made a grave for him!" Endevor joked drily, "He'll be fine, only purple berries kill."

"Are you sure?" Ellie asked.

"Positive. You don't live a hundred years and not learn anything." Endevor sighed, "It's okay anyways, he needs his sleep. He and I will be walking, while you two fly ahead on Chev."

"Why do we have to go ahead?" Auka asked.

"To get to Belatona first, and buy some horses and get them fit and ready for the trip." Endevor replied.

"But we'll be weeks ahead!" Auka argued.

"It will take you two perhaps four days of easy flying. Don't worry, we'll be there withen the week."

"But you don't have horses." Ellie mused.

"We don't." Endevor agreed.

"What are you planning?" Auka asked her father, seeing that all too familler glint in his eye.

"Nothing at all, after all, we are already law breakers."

"_Dad!_"

Auka smiled as Chev did a belly roll, and she easily ignored Ellie's screech of alarm. It had been four and a half days now since them leaving Endevor and James at camp, it reminded her of when she and Ellie had been trailing their parents, but now they weren't so scared.

_Will you stop that? My goodness, I feel like I will fall off!_

_Oh calm down Ellie, if you did, which would be hard to believe, Chev would catch you, wouldn't he? _Chev let out a small roar in answer, _See?_

_Well, still._ Ellie replied.

_She needs to learn to calm down._ Chev stated privately.

_Hmm, maybe. But aren't you just glad to get away from that city? Gah, I hate that Helgrind and Dras-Leona too, it seems like...oh I don't know, evil?_

_And the religon! _Chev snorted, the smoke blowing back into the girls' faces, _Cutting off body parts as sacrafices?_

_Wonder if any of them tried cutting of their head? _Auka mused.

_That's disgusting._ Chev stated, _Even for me._ Auka laughed. _But the castle of Uru'baen...it unerves even me, with Shurkian perched there.__Hey, why don't we go for a swim? I'm sure Ellie will enjoy it!_

_Oh, great idea! _Auka praised him, _Hey, Ellie, wanta go for a swim?_

_Sure, I mean, we have the time, where're we landing? _She replied. It took her until Chev started diving towards the water to understand, _Ellie! Chev! I'm going to KILL you!_ She screamed in their heads as they all went underwater in Leona Lake.

Due to Chev's flying and the relativly warm air, they were dry when he touched down a mile out from Belatona. Ellie had since forgiven them, but the water had done her good.

"Alright, three hundred crowns to buy four horses." Auka sighed.

"I have fifty-five crowns, from my dad." Ellie stated, "So three hundred, fifty-five crowns to buy horses."

"Don't you want to get anything?" She asked.

"No, not realy. Maybe an actul bag to strap onto Chev to carry that egg, but nothing else."

"I forgot about that thing.." Auka mused, reflecting on the strange golden egg. "Wounder when it'll hatch."

_I don't think it's bonded to a rider. I think it's just waiting._ Chev explained, laying down, _It'll wait until it stops moving, really._

"Well, it'll have to wait for a _long_ time then." Ellie replied, frowning, "How long can whelps wait, Chev?"

_I believe centeries, if they must._ He mentally shrugged, _I waited very, very long in that darned thing._

"How long?" Auka asked eagerly.

_Since before the fall of the riders, that's all I know._ Chev sighed again.

"Wonder if you were that green egg of Galbatroix's, but then how did you end up in the Vender's stand?"

_I'm not. That green egg is emerald, I am a dark, dark, green. There's a diffrence._

''Fine, fine." Auka replied, "Comeon Ellie, see you later Chev."

_Good bye little ones._ Chev replied.

When the two girls finally reached the stables, the sun was beginning to set.

"Escuse me, sir?" Auka called out, the man turned to look at her, he looked to be watering the stabled horses.

"Yes, little lady?"

"We need to buy four of your finest horses, made for long distances at somewhat fast speeds." She explained.

"That will cost you a pretty crown, girl." The man stated.

"We know. We have 350 right here." She held up the bag, "Will that be enough?"

"More than enough. Each one of my horses are 80 crowns each."

"That's it?"

"Crowns are rare out here, girls." He explained. "240 crowns please, then." He explained as he begun to pull out four horses, "Including tack, I'll up it to 250."

"Then include the tack." Auka stated, taking a hundred crowns out of their bag. She looked at the horses and found herself gaping. She wasn't too bad at telling the confirmation of a horse, and these four were _nice._

"Alrightie, this here is one my grandkids call 'Mouse.'" He explained, patting a mare on the nose, "She's a good one for ladies, she's none too found of men though."

"That's alright. I can see why they call her that." Ellie stated. "Her coat is the same color of a mouse's." The man nodded in agreeance,

"And this is Starlight." He patted a grey horse, "He's a good boy, not too sure if he'll be too much for you two, but if you want a horse that never tires, he the one. This one here is Merrybell, and that one's Traveler, " He pointed to two dun horses.

"Thankyou sir." Auka stated as he tacked them up.

"No problem." He replied.

"I'll ride Mouse." Ellie offered,

"Okay then, I'll ride Starlight." The two girls climbed up, and took Merrybell and Traveler's reins.

"They'll be riden, right?" The man asked.

"Yeah, we still need to pick up the rest of us." Auka explained.

"I see, ride safe then, you two." The man said. They nodded, and left the darkening city.

"That guy was real nice." Ellie stated as she trotted along, "I mean, most people don't treat girls like that."

"And why not?" Auka snapped, "We're just as strong." Ellie didn't reply, and busied herself with playing with the mane of her new horse. It took a good half an hour of riding to get an answer, and even then, she hesitaited.

"It's just...Auka, you won't let my dad drag me back to Uru'baen, will you?"

"Of course not! Not if you don't want to." Auka frowned, "What makes you think I will just stand to the side?"

"I mean..I'm sorry, I just needed to be reasured."

_She's acting strange._ Auka thought, "Well, okay."

_It troubles her that she might get ripped from the life she loves so much._ Chev stated, _Can't you see it?_

_Not really._ Auka replied, _Why does she think she will?_

_Her father, _Chev stated with a 'you should know that' type voice, _Remember, he believes in the traditional ways._

_Oh.._ Auka mentally kicked herself, _I forgot again._

_Everyone forgots from time to time._ Chev stated. Auka didn't reply, for she was watching the slumped shoulders of Ellie's outlined form. In the awful light of night, she couldn't see her face, but she had the inscint that she was crying.

"Ellie..your father doesn't control you. You can stay if you want, I'd like it." Auka said. Ellie let out a sob,

"But I don't want to go agaist him! He is the only thing of my old life that I have left. My mom's dead, and.." She trailed off. Auka didn't reply, how could she know how she felt? She never knew her mom, so that didn't count. She had Chev and Endevor still..

"I'm sorry." Auka muttered.

Four days of hanging around Belantona passed, until Auka say two figures on chestnut horses jog into the town, she saw their faces clear enough.

"Ellie! It's our dads, comon!" She told her, dashing out the door or their rented room and almost collided with her dad.

"Hey!" She greeted him. He smiled at her,

"Hello Auka, anything exciting while we were away?"

"Caught up on some news." She sighed, "Carvahall's burned, just a few days ago."

"And Eragon the Rider and is now a shadeslayer too!" Ellie stated, grinning, "You have some living up to do, Auka."

"It's surprising," Auka mused, "Eragon Shadeslayer, it fits."

"Roran's know as Roran Stronghammer too!" Ellie sighed, "So much has happened over these weeks."

"Wonder if Eragon is down with the Varden." Auka mused.

"I highlyl doubt it." Endevor shook his head, "No, he will be training with the elves at the moment, completely unknowing of what happened to Carvahall, do you know what happened to the people?"

"Acording to our sources most of the escaped into the Spine, no doubt heading towards Terim." Ellie informed.

"Then down to the Varden, most likely." Endevor sighed, "But enough of this, I want to eat."

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Just one thing." Auka bit her lip. _If he answers what I think'll he does..I'll-. _"Where'd you get the horses?"

"We're outlaws after all." Endevor stated, quickly slipping away.

"_Dad!_"

A day later Auka was playing with a charm her father had given her.

"It will stop people from scribing you, you know, like I taught you?" He had stated.

"Whats the point in that?" Auka asked.

"They might just be able to tell your location, so, there's your reason. Just be warned, the charm will take your energy to block the spell caster."

"I see."

Now she was debating wither or not to scribe Eragon, or Saphira. She and Chev were both cerious as to what they are doing, while they are fleeing east in a very 'relaxed' way, as Endevor put it.

_It won't work, Du'Weldenvarden is protected by wards if Endevor was correct._ She reminded herself.

_Excatly._ Chev snorted, _So just wait until you hear news of him around here, then scribe him._ The dragon was waiting patiently outside of the city while everyone was getting supplies.

_I'll try that._ Auka replied, snapping back into the real world when Ellie dumbed a bag of food in her arms. Slipping the charm back into one of her pokects, she watched her father haggle with yet another vender. Ellie, James, and now Auka were already stacked up with things to put on the horses, weren't they done? They watched as he turned around, a pleased smile on his face. In his hands were three swords.

"And who in their right mind sells swords?" James asked.

"These southern places do, I don't blame them. They're just in the area at risk for a battle." Endevor shrugged, "Comeon everyone, the sooner we get to the those horses, the sooner you can dumb those loads."

"Just one question," Ellie asked as they left, "Why do you need three swords?"

"Practice Ellie. You and your father get two, and myself one. Auka already has one." Auka reflected on her grey sword, and stifled a groan. She hasn't practiced in so danged long. Her dad was _not_ going to be happy.

_Hey, look at it this way, your better than Ellie and James._ Chev pointed out.

_Thanks Chev, you really help. _Auka replied sarcastically.

_No problem._ Chev replied. Auka was silent until Endevor finished packing up the pack horses, the two chestnuts that Endevor had 'barrowed' from some travelers. She climbed up on Starlight and quietly fell in beside Ellie.

She barely noticed the odd feeling, but it felt as if she was being watched.

_Your being scribed!_ Chev snarled as she shared her feeling with him. Quickly she glared skyward and slipped her hand into her pocket, clasping the charm. Almost instantly she felt the charm draining her magic, but she felt the threat pass on. Even that short of a time

left her panting for breath.

"Auka?" Endevor's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"I think.." Auka closed her eyes, "Someone's trying to figure out where we are."

"Well, that can't be good." James snorted. Chev landed, her worried eyes glued on Auka,

_Next time that happens, barrow some of my strength._ He suggested.

"I think I will." Auka told him, prying her fingers lose of the charm, "It sucks you dry like no tomarrow!" She complained, tucking it into her pocket again, just as the feeling rushed over her again.

"Wait." Endevor's voice stopped her just as she was reaching for the charm again. "This time we are all being scribed.." He looked thoughtful.

"I feels diffrent from the other one." Auka stated, insticfully looking skywards when Endevor let out a 'Ah!' "What?" She asked him.

"You needn't worry about your charm Auka, in your state, the power that it would drain from you would most likely kill you." He chuckled.

"Last time it didn't." Auka argued.

"Last time, I believe, was Galbatroix. This time it is the elves."

"What?" Everyone looked skyward.

"They are using a special object, something sorta like a bowl, to scribe in." Endevor continued on his explanation, "Not only does it have the power to let the person see what they have seen before, like a normal scribe, but it also alouds them to hear us."

"Okay, that's just odd." Ellie stated crossly.

"But the elves haven't seen us, well, maybe you, but.."

"Eragon has." Endevor reminded her, "He could be assisting in the scribing, I suppose the elves would want to know of your exsistance, no?"

"Oh yeah. Chev, we're being spied on." She hissed to her dragon, earning a few chuckles. Chev snorted.

_Well tell the elves to quit it. I do not like being 'spied on.'_

"Oh calm down, for all I care, the elves can look all they want. Besides, they can't keep it up for long, can they?" Auka asked.

"No, they can't. But Chev is right, they shouldn't be doing this." Endevor stated.

"Well then, elves, if you _are _the people watching, please, _stop it._" Ellie growled. Much to Auka's amusement and surprise, the feeling vanished.

"So it was the elves." Endevor smiled. "It's been along time since I've had contact with them."

"Do they think your dead?" James asked.

"Yes, and no doubt will have countless questions next time we meet, considering my...placement in the war."

"What placement? Your just Galbatroix's brother." James questioned.

"James, how old is Galbatroix?" Endevor asked, sounding annoyed.

"A centry atleast." James replied, a hint of proudness in his voice.

"So, for me to be his _brother._ How old would I have to be?" James was silent for a short time before a long 'oh' left his lips.

"How can you be that old?" He asked.

"I was a rider like him." Endevor explained, "Now no more on the subject, it is not my favorite."

"Well, I'd like to hear it." James stated, opening his mouth, but Ellie inturupted him.

"Dad, let Endevor keep his secrets." She stated. Auka smiled at James face.

_You humans are quite intresting. _Chev purred as he took to the air again, _With all your secrets and such._

_Oh, leave us alone._ Auka scoffed. Looking up at Chev's glistening form, she wished to be flying with him, but that was impossible.

Just then, Starlight shied, leaping sideways and snorting at something. Taken by surprise and still tired by the charm, she fell off, and stared as the other horses bolted away from something in fright.

_This can't be good._ She thought darkly, rolling over with a groan and slowly picking herself up.

"So this is how I catch you? How amusing." Auka's head whipped around, and just out of the coner of her eye she saw her father slow his horse. But then she saw him.

That shaden apprentice. But he wasn't an apprenitce anymore, Auka could tell by just looking at him. No, he was a full shade, and now she was stuck facing him already weakened.

As a ring of fire sprang up around them, Auka resigned herself to fighting and stood up, clasping her grey sword in her hand.

"Bring it on, shade." She told him. He sneered and lifted up his own blade,

"You won't win." He told her. Auka mearly shook her head, and just managed to block as he sprang forward. He spun around, aiming for her legs, but she once agian blocked him, and managed to break the binding spell that he attempted to put on her. Chev fell from the air like a arrow, spirling down at such a speed that he appered a blur, and crashed to the ground with a roar, even ignoring the flames that lapped at his belly. Once agian Auka felt the feeling of a scriber watching her, but she pushed it to the back of her mind as she was forced to back up even farther.

"Chev!" Auka shouted as the shade turned to the green dragon, "Stay back, eitha!" She cried. Chev roared, but sprang back into the air all the same. "Damn you shade," She growled, "You've planned this, haven't you?"

"Of course I did. You were quick in using that charm of yours, but I still managed to get your location. It was quite usefull, using that charm to weaken you." His words made Auka cringe. "But I see we are being watched by someone else."

"Perhaps." Auka replied, eyeing the shade. She was in no shape to fight, exspecially a shade, so how could she win?

_Watch out! He's prepairing a spell!_ Chev growled, still hovering near. Auka felt it just then, a binding spell so strong it locked Chev's wings and made him drop like a rock.

_Chev.._ "Brakka du vanyali sem huildar Chev un eka!" She shouted, remembering the words Endevor had told her about during one of her training hours. She felt the magic pour from her like sand through your hand, but Chev managed to regian the power of his wings, and he shot upwards, while Auka staggered, but felt a surprising amount of energy wash through her.

_I might not be able to fight physically._ Chev growled, melding his mind with her's, _But mentally I will be of great help._

_Chev.._ Auka shook his head as the shade spoke,

"Have you already been trained by elves?" He hissed, "Impossible." He too was breathing hard, but he still had enough energy to spring forward and land behind Auka, a knock out move usually, but Chev granted her even more speed, and she wirled around and blocked the blow.

"You aren't beating us that easily!" She hissed, kneeing him in the stomech.

"That damned dragon is in you, isn't he?" The shade demanded. The ring of fire grew even taller, roaring around them. "No matters."

They battled for quite a while, until Auka finally got the upper hand with a burst of magic and sank her sword into his stomech.

"Not a killing blow," She told him, "But atleast it gets rid of you."

"Agian, you little brat, you defy me." The shade choked, and disappered. Auka felt Chev leave her body, and she fell to the ground like a rock, watching as the world went black.

**Thank you all for reading. ) Okay, so my Eragon and Eldest books are barrowed at the moment, so can someone tell me where the battle where Eragon and Murtagh meet is located? I haven't read the book for awhile now.**

**Thanks,**

** Tall Star  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Finally got this done. I had rewritten it like five times and then the computer lost it's memory. Now I wrote this. I'm not sure if it's the best, but it'll have to do. Thanks to everyone who will still read this after such a long break in updates, it won't happen again, not with this story. Atleast I hope not. If you can, excuse the mistakes in spelling, I don't have spell checker because we just have wordpad.**

**frede1993 - thank you! The cookies are still cooking, but I'll give one right to you when they're done.**

**Christa - thank you for offering, but I got it back now. I hope the spelling mistakes are going down.**

_Wake up Auka._ A voice hissed in her head. She mentally refused, enjoying the darkness, _Wake up._ He repeated.

_Why?_ She asked.

_Because if you stay asleep any longer Ellie and James will flip. _The voice replied, _Your father isn't in good shape either._

_What?_ Auka flickered her eyes open with a gasp. The sky was cloudy above her, but soon Ellie's face filled her vision.

"Thank the gods!" She cried, "Father, Auka's awake!" Auka studied her black hair for a moment, catching up on all her thoughts.

"What's wrong with my father?" Auka asked, her voice was raspy, as if she hadn't used it for a while. Tiredly she sat up, blinking as a wave of darkness crashed on her. _Whoops, got up too fast._ She thought. Once the darkness receded she looked around. Ellie sat next to her while James kneeled over a figure, Chev was no where to be seen.

"There was another shade." Ellie explained. "He actully killed him, right through the heart, then he just...fell. Kinda like you did."

"Crap." Auka stood up, wobbled, then fell again. Ellie smiled, and with her help Auka started to her father's side.

_Chev, where are you?_

_Hunting. I didn't think you would wake up so soon. I'm coming. _

_You didn't tell me to wake up?_ Auka paused in her steps, Ellie waited patiently,

_No._ The dragon replied, _Your mind was sealed from mine. I got kinda a worried, so I figured a hunting trip would relax me._

_Are you sure? Someone told me to wake up, and it sounded like you._ She ventered.

_I am. Are you okay?_ Her dragon asked.

_I guess not._ Auka replied, continuing to her father.

"We can't figure out whats wrong with him." James explained as she kneeled beside her father, "He just sort of shut down."

_Trust nobles to know what to do._ Chev snorted.

_Haven't you helped them?_ Auka asked, _Or have you been on your hunting trip?_

_Don't get mad so fast. I know he's okay, he just chooses to sleep._ Chev snorted, _I felt his mind, it to is sealed off, but I figured that was just his normal defenses. Perhaps you should try._

_I will._ Auka sighed and placed her hand on her father's forehead, "Don't bother me." She told the two nobles as she closed her eyes. Foucusing her mind on her father's, she ventered forward and hit a solid wall. _M'kay._ She thought, _Chev._

_Very well._ Chev combined his mind with her's, and the two felt for any weak spots in Auka's father's mind. But he was skilled in mental denfensives, and they found none.

_There has to be one somewhere._

_He's a century old._ Auka reminded her dragon, _I would think he would be skilled in this stuff. There's nothing we can do now, let me catch up on events._

_Very well, I am coming._ Chev growled, Auka's mind felt his leave, and she opened her eyes.

"He's not ready to wake up. How long have I been out?"

"Eh, _ almost _two weeks. Eleven days." James replied. Auka gapped at him,

"Eleven days?" She squeaked. _That long? Oh mi god._

_Excatly._ Chev growled.

"And my father has been out for that same amount of time?"

"Yes." Ellie nodded.

"Crap." Auka rubbed her forehead, "Have we been moving?"

"Same pace since then. I'm not that dumb." James snapped.

"Didn't say you were." Auka sighed, "Where are we now?"

"Look around you." Auka listened to James for once. The ground was sandy.

"Oh. The Hardac."

"Exactly, and we have been going without water for a day now." The man grumbled, "We ran out two days ago, but that dragon brought us water then. Now the lazy thing claims it's too far away."

_It's hard to fly with water in one's mouth!_ Chev argued.

"Well, I can fix that." Auka replied, "Dig a hole, I don't want to do it all with magic."

_I'll assist you. We'll make a pool large enough for the horses to drown in!_ Chev snarled.

_Did James' words make you that mad?_ Auka asked, she could see him in the distance now.

_Yes._

_Jeez. Cool down Chev._ Auka ordered him, James and Ellie were scooping out a small hole. She only got a sense of anger before he broke the link. Auka rolled her eyes breifly, "Just alittle more, it doesn't need to be too big." She told them, ignoring Chev's idmetiate refusal. _I don't have much of my strength still._ She reminded him.

_I understand._ The dragon growled. Auka sighed, he wasn't in a good mood.

_What's wrong?_ Auka asked as she watched the two dig.

_That man!_ Chev replied, _He thinks me nothing but a beast!  
OH!_ Auka smiled slightly, that was a very touchy point to Chev. "James?"

"Yes?" He paused in his digging,

"What do you think Chev is?" Auka questioned him.

"A dragon, what else?" He replied. Auka raised an eyebrow at him, "A creature bonded to you, meaning he's supposed to help us."

"Is that so." Auka frowned at him, "Just a 'creature'?"

"Well, he certainly isn't like us." He replied.

"How isn't he?" Auka ventered,

"He relies on you for life." James explained confiedently, "It's his job to do what we tell him." Auka stared at him, before heaving a sigh,

"Your lucky he hasn't chomped your head off." she snorted.

"And why would he do that?"

"Your insulting him. For one, it is not wise to call him a 'lizard' and it's not his job to do what we want. Expecially not what you want." She rested her head on her hands and stared at him, "He's just like another person, he has his own things to do. That's proubly why he didn't bring you water."

"That thing didn't bring us water because we called him a lizard?" James asked.

"Yes. I would have done the same if I was in his position. You have a lot to learn, James." Auka told him. He glared at her, then stood up,

"I'm not listening to a girl like you. Dig your own hole."

"Okay then." Auka replied, watching him stalk off, "How do you live with him?" She asked her freind.

"He's not usually like this. But alot has changed. He's never slept on the ground until we started this trip." Ellie replied quietly, continueing her digging, "It's a complete reversal of his life."

"I don't see you getting craby."

"Well, I like it." Ellie replied. They sat in silence as both girls dug. Auka only looked up when she got a strange sense of satisfaction. She would have laughed if it wasn't for the horrorified cries from James.

"Will you look at that." Auka told her freind. Ellie looked up and laughed. Chev stood on the ground, one massive clawed foot pressing James into the ground. She couldn't hear the man's terrified cries like Auka could, her hearing had grown sensitive over the weeks with Chev.

"I hate to say it, but he deserves it." Ellie replied.

_Chev, don't hurt him._ Auka warned him.

_I know._ The dragon snorted, _I just wanted to show him I just don't look powerful. I am powerful!_

_Don't let it go to your head._ Auka replied in amusement, _He's the only person in the world short of Galbatroix and his nobles that I'd let you pin like that._

_Too late for that._ Chev snorted, picking the man up in his mouth and walking calmly to the girls. James had fallen silent, proubly thinking about how Chev could simply close his jaws.

"Put him down soon, Chev." Auka told him, "Ellie, this is deep enough." The green dragon dumbed the man on the ground and walked calmly up to her, resting down beside her. Auka felt Chev combine his strength with her, the power almost was too much.

"_adurna rïsa_!" She hissed, feeling energy drain from her. Soon, water begun to rise up in the hole. Ellie quickly dunked in the canteens, then led the horses over as Auka held the water up. They drank deeply before they were satisfied. With a startled gasp, Auka broke the spell. "That was stronger than I thought."

_There's not much water in the ground._ Chev growled, _We were reaching far for just that small amount._

_Now are you glad you didn't make a pool big enough for the horses to drown in?_ The rider asked.

_Might want to give your father a drink._ Chev stated.

_Have you had a drink?_ Auka asked.

_I found a large pool, too far for you to travel to._ He explained.

"Very well. Ellie, can I have a canteen?" She nodded and tossed it to her. Auka caught it and went to her father. He still lay silently on the ground.

"Wonder what's wrong with him." Auka mused, "He looks like he's just sleeping."

_If he doesn't wake in a day, I will worry._ Endevor replied.

"I agree." She gently trickled some water onto her father's lips, and felt relief as she saw his throat swallow it. "Atleast he actully swallows stuff." Chev snorted in agreeance.

_Do we think we could fly today?_ He asked. _There is something I wish to show you._

_I don't see the harm in it._ Auka replied, standing up and going over to where Ellie and James were packing up the horses. "I'm going to ride Chev, okay?"

"Sure, the only person who could possibly fend off trouble is leaving." James snorted.

"Quit it dad. Sure Auka, we'll just continue on to Hedarth."

"You've already passed Furnost?" Auka asked.

"Yeah, we left you two with Chev and went in and got supplies." Ellie explained as she swung up,

"Oh. See you later." She told them, turning back to her dragon who sat. His saddle rested before him.

_Hurry up. We're flying a long distance._ He growled. Auka rolled her eyes and set about saddling him, wincing as she lifted it. Chev saw this and lent some of his strength.

_I'm still weak from that battle._ She grumbled.

_Don't worry, my freind._ Chev growled, _You'll be fine._

_I hope so._ Auka replied. Silently she finished saddling the huge dragon, _Your growing, _She stated as she swung up, _I'm running out of leather. The straps are becoming too short._ Auka smiled at the rush of pride that fallowed. _Don't get too proud, it's harder to hide._

_It'll be easier to fight._ Chev replied before springing up into the air. Auka grinned at the rushing wind that hit her face.

_I love flying._ She told her dragon, staring down at the land that seemed to be falling away.

_Your telling me that._ Chev rolled before evening out. Auka sat up, staring down at the small ants that were the horses. To her left was an expanse of sand, to her right was a green moutain range.

_Those are the Beor Mountains, right?_ Auka asked.

_Yes._ Chev replied, banking away until Auka's vision was only the desert.

_Where're we going?_

_Somewhere I found. Be patinet._ Chev growled. Auka sighed and seatled down for a long wait.

It was midday when Chev landed. Auka stared at the pool of water.

_It's pretty._ She stated, hopping off. _But why-_

_Come._ Chev ordered, leading her to the side of the pool, _Look at it._ He ordered. Auka obeyed, she saw clear water, she could even seen the bottom. _At the side._ He continued. Auka studied the far bank, and saw a small opening. _It's a cave._ The dragon growled, walking into the small pond, _Come!_ Auka stepped into the water, it was warm, but she still winced as it came up to her waist, her clothes weren't too comfortable in the water. Quietly she grabbed Chev's spike, and he dove down, taking her with.

The pond was surprisingly deep, and Auka was just starting to run out of air when they entered the cave. _Just a little longer._ Chev purred. _This was slightly why I was so mad. When I first saw it nothing seemed special about it, but then I thought more._ Finally Chev burst through the surface, and Auka gasped in air as she looked around. You could breathe, which ment this cave had access to the outside. It was huge, Chev fit with plenty of room. The dragon walked out and Auka dropped back to her feet. He continued to walk, so Auka kept pace with him. He led her deep into the cave, and ten she saw what he wanted her to see. The cave opened up even more, and a low depression sat in the center of it.

"What is that?" Auka asked. In the huge cave her voice echoed slightly.

_Look at it._ Chev replied quietly. Auka stepped forward until she was on the rim. Twigs and other things were lain neatly inside of it. She kneeled down and touched it, there was a thick layer of dust on it. _Look._He insisted.

_I don't see it._ Auka replied. Chev sighed, laying down and laying his head on the ground. Auka looked at him, his eyes were wet with greif. _I don't understand._

_It's a nest._ He whispered. Auka stared at it for a few more moments before it hit. This nest had held a female dragon, she could see a large bone, partily buried.

"Oh my gods." She lifted her hand back up and stared. Nither of them moved. "It's a dragon nest!"

_Excatly. _Chev whimpered. _Look. _He nodded towards the cave wall. Auka fallowed his gaze, and saw something strached in the side. _It's claw marks._

_A dragon got mad and strached at the wall?_ She asked.

_No. Endevor explained that every spot Shurikan visited he stracthed the walls._ Chev replied. Auka's heart clentched. _I brought you here..so you don't underestimate the King. He is far more experianced than us._

_Chev...I'm sorry._ Auka whispered, setting her hand on her dragon's cheek. He sighed,

_It hurts._ He growled, _Dragons used to be almost common sight._

_Maybe some day they will be again._ Auka closed her eyes, _After all, Ellie still has that gold egg._

_We don't know when that'll hatch._ Chev replied sulenly. Then jerked his head up with a snort, _Do you feel that?_ Auka felt it then, a feeling she felt just before the shade...oh yeah!

"The elves." She stated calmly, looking up at the cave's ceiling, _Do you think they can see us?_

_They can see us, not the cave, unless there was an elf that was here._ Chev growled, rising to his feet. Auka frowned at him,

_What's with the sudden change of aditude? Too proud to admit you can be sad?_ The massive dragon just snorted a cloud of smoke into her face, "Fine then, be that way." She sighed and stood up, looking around. Slowly, she crossed the cave and rested her hand on the scratches. "Do you think my father was here?" She asked the green dragon.

_I would think so. _Chev replied quietly,

"I worry about him. I've woken up, why hasn't he?" She rested her head agaist the stone wall, the scratches made it uneven, "I bet the elves know."

_We're not going up there._ Chev gave himself a strong shake,_They'll rip your father to pieces. They are not a race that are kin of forgivness._

"Maybe. Where do you think they all went?"She asked the dragon, peering around the cave.

_Maybe they were driven farther back?_ Chev offered.

"Let's look." Auka stated, walking in that direction.

_I don't think that's wise._

_Cool off._ Auka ordered him, holding her palm flat, she hissed, _"Brisinger!_" A bright ball of flame lit up, splashing the walls with it's light. "That helps, it was like twilight here before. I bet a normal human couldn't even see in here."

_I agree._ Chev stated. Auka peered at another passage. It was the only one besides the one they had come in, so it must lead to the outside. Quietly, she started walking down it. Chev didn't fallow her. Turning half way around, she frowned at her dragon,

_What's wrong?_ She asked.

_This. We don't know what we'll find back there._ Chev growled, _It is best to leave history to itself! Plus, it gets narrower, I might not be able to help you._

"Nothing alive is back there, Chev." Auka told him calmly, "If it gets too narrow for you to fallow me, you can get mad at how stinken fast you have been growing. I can take care of myself."

_That's what I'm worried about._

"You big rock." Auka growled in reply, "Sometimes I wonder about you." She continued down the passage. Chev sighed and heaved himself to his feet, padded quietly behind her.

Mere feet passed before the green dragon started worrying. _I'm not sure about this Auka._

"Lookit that. Something must have seriously forced it's way back here. Something larger than you!" Auka held her orb of light up to the stone, scratch marks lined it, _Like scales._ She noted.

_I don't like this._ Chev growled.

_Calm down._ Auka ordered, walking forward again. Chev heaved a huge sigh, continuing to fallow her. Then, perhaps a few yards later, the scratches, and the large passage, ended. Only a small section continued, too small for Chev to fit through. Auka didn't hesitaite.

_Be careful. I will tear rock to get to you._ The dragon warned her.

"I understand. But nothing dangrous can possibly be under here. I mean, the dust is an inch thick!"

_If you didn't have your daggers, I wouldn't let you go._ Chev snorted._I wish you hadn't left your blade with Ellie._

"I thought there would be no use for it." Auka replied, walking into the passage. She dimmed the orb slightly to conserve power as she pressed forward. She felt a waver of the feeling, she glanced up at the cave ceiling. "If your running low on energy, why are you still watching me?" She questioned the elves outloud. The feeling strengthened. She heaved an annoyed sigh before she continued. The idea that a completely diffrent race was staring down on her was unerving. Quietly she continued, and was just beginning to wonder when this passage ended when she dropped.

With a startled cry she fell, about seven feet. Her arm let out a crack and she lost her grip on magic. Groaning, she sat up.

"By the gods. I just keep falling into things." She grumbled. Gingerly she touched her arm, wincing at the bellowed roar from Chev. _I'm fine! Don't worry! _She told him.

_I will until you heal that arm!_ He snarled in reply, _Expecially if you can't get out._

"I'll be fine." She muttered to herself as she healed her arm, "Sometimes I wonder." She continued to mutter. The elven prescene seemed to have grown. _Yeah, the elves can't hold it for long._ She scoffed.

_The elves are still watching you? They stopped watching me quite a while ago. _He sounded suspicous.

_Don't worry about it, I'm sure they're just cerious._ Auka told him, then closed her eyes, "Magic's getting harder. Hope I can get out of here." She took a deep breath and whispered the word again, watching the orb spring back to life. She looked up and screamed.

Sitting right infront of her was a massive white form, it was motionless, but she reconized a dragon. As her scream echoed through the passage, and she heard Chev's snarls, she continued to stare.

"Holy...no way." She closed her eyes and concintrated on gathering her breath back. "I think I just lost ten years of my life." She muttered.

_What is it?_ Chev growled, _Auka-_

_Dragon._ She stated. Quietly she stood up, staring thoughtfully at the thing.

"How'd it get back here?" She muttered, "It's way to large.."

_Get out._ Chev ordered.

_I'll be fine. Beisdes, how can you know what I'm saying outloud?_

_I'm part of you, Auka. I always know what you saw outloud._

"Darn it." Auka muttered. Cerious, she walked the the dragon's head, it's milky surface glared back at her, empty black eyes stared into nothing. Something in it's chest caught her attention. Wedged between two bones was a sword. Auka's heart clentched, and she had to take a few deep breathes before it relaxed. "No way."

_What?_ Chev pressed.

"It's dead." Auka's vocie was raspy, "I'm standing infront of a dead dragon!"

_Get out._

_Oh come on, this is like the-_

_Get...out!_ He roared. Even as far away as she was she winced. She turned around and stared up at the fall she had taken.

"I think that's impossible." She stated, _It's a sheer cliff. There's no way for me to climb out._

_Use magic._

"I don't have enough to freakin levitate myself! I only have done that once and I fell half the way down. It's too far, anyways." Auka looked around, "This passage continues though." The light from the orb faded away at one point, above the dragon's spine.

_Be careful._ The forest green dragon growled.

"This has to lead to open air." Auka reminded him, "We can breathe, and we came in through water, so that isn't the reason."

_I don't like this. _Auka igored the green dragon as she paced around the white remains of a once great dragon. The air hung heavy a cold, almost too cold.

_You aren't leaving me that quickly, are you?_ A voice whispered in her head. Whatever was left of the color in her face drained away. Her entire body froze.

"Did you hear that, Chev? I'm not even going to try to speck mentally!"

_I did._ Chev replied quietly. _Auka, get out of there._ Auka shuddered, and continued walking.

_Not so fast. You have to help me first._ The voice hissed. Auka yelped and jumped to the side.

"What in the names of whoever is specking?" She asked. "Or am I just going insane?"

_No, you aren't. Now come pick it up. _The voice insisted.

_Shut up, whatever you are!_ Chevron comanding voice snarled, _My rider isn't helping you!  
Really? _The voice contered. A pain seared in Auka's mind, she yelped and stumbled back, the orb disappered as her hands hit her head. Chev roared again.

_Get out! _Chev's mind shooved at the pain, and the pushing game continued until Chev won. Shaking, Auka called the orb back up.

"That hurt.'' A trob much worse than a headache was beating in her head, she could barely see straight, even the orb wobbled.

_That thing is strong._ Chev sounded exsaughted, _Get out!_

"I'll try." Auka blinked sevreal times in an effort to get her eyes to see straight. "Somethings odd, Chev, really odd."

_I know._ He replied. _Hurry!_ He molded himself with her, and she felt her vision go a shade closer to silver. _Don't worry Auka, we did this before, you just don't remember._

"We did?"Auka whispered as she found the strength the stand up. Her vision was sharper than she was used to, and she looked around.

_When you fought that shade. To the passage, before that thing comes back!_ Chev hissed.

_Didn't I pass out after that?_

_Yes,_

_dang it! _Auka continued walking, but paused to gape in a pool of water. "Why are my eyes silver?"

_Because mine are._ Chev replied, _Move on!_ Stumbling, Auka continued,

"I'm going end up sleep another week after this." She muttered, "I'll be twenty by the time I stay awake a full day!"

_This is your fault, my freind._ Chev reminded her.

_Sorry, I know._ She pressed onwards, leaving the dead dragon and continuing up the passage. Troubled by the silence, she countinued to talk,

"What was that thing, you heard it too, right?" She asked her dragon.

_Yes, and I'm not sure what is was. Something desprate, that's all I know._ The green dragon replied, _I'm not sure what is was desprate for, however._

_Do you think it was the dead dragon?_ Auka asked, hesitaiting as the passage got even narrower,

_I don' think so. _Chev replied. The passage continued, so Auka continued.

It got to the point that Auka had to turn sideways and squeeze through the passage, but now air ruffled her hair. Half asleep, she stopped when the passage did. Slowly, she looked up, and saw daylight.

"I'm not climbing. I'll rot here." Auka muttered, staring longingly at the light, "I see the light, anyways." She joked.

_Climb._ Chev ordered. Auka heaved a sigh and placed her hand on a jutting rock, slowly, she pulled herself up, it was, atleast, a good ten feet before her head clearing the surface. The pond wasn't even in sight. The elven prescene wavered again. "Oh, go away you elves, I'm tired of being watched!" She muttered, pulling herself out and collasping tiredly on the sands. "Where are you, Chev?"She asked as she felt him leave her body. Even though it left her too weak to move, she still remaind awake.

_Coming._ He replied. She lay there for maybe five more minutes before the green dragon crash landed. it was obvious he had been hurrying. The mighty dragon looked exsaughted. His wings dropped and his mouth hung open, sucking in air. "Wow, your tired." She muttered, closing her eyes.

_Sleep, my little freind, I will watch over you._ Chev growled.

"It's you who needs to sleep." Auka whispered in reply. Chev snorted, and Auka thought she caught a flash of affection in his eyes before she drifted off.

When she woke up, Ellie's face crowded her vision.

"How long now?"

"Three years."

"Really? How big has Chev gotten?"

"Do you seriously believe me?"

"It's possible, with the way my life has been going."

"No, idiot, Chev just brought you here like half an hour ago." Ellie rolled her eyes. Auka blinked up at the sunlight and turned to look at Chev, the dragon looked much better than he had been.

_Don't ask me. I drifted off to sleep._ He sounded angery with himself.

_Don't get mad because you fell asleep. Nothing was going to get us out there in the middle of the Hardac._

_Other than Urgals, or shades, or the King, or-_

_Chev. Seriously._ Auka rolled her eyes and then rolled over, looking around,

"Where is everyone?" She asked.

"James is packing up the horses, and your father is strapped to one of them." Ellie explained, "He still hasn't fluttered an eyelid."

"Dang it." Auka rested her cheek agaist the warm sand again. "I just wish my dad would get up so I would know what to do! Do we just keep going?"

_There's a reason why we're born with brains in our heads, not rocks._ Chev stated.

"That was strange." Auka stated, looking at her dragon.

_Something Saphira used to say. It popped up in my head._ Chev replied.

"Okay, I thought that was un-Chevish." Auka sighed, "For a moment, I thought my father rubbed off on you." Chev growled at Auka, more in amusement than anything.

"OK, you two.." Ellie tipped her hand from side to side, "Aren't flying together anytime soon."

_Fine, but!_ Chev lowered his head so he was only inches from Auka's face, _If you do anything stupid, like you just did back at that cave, I will pin you to my back with arrows and never let you off._

"Point taken." Auka muttered, "I won't do anything overly stupid."

_Thank you._ He snorted. Moments later he sprung up into the air, tossing grains of sand into the girls' faces.

"And he tells me not to do anything stupid." Auka muttered as Ellie helped her up, "One of those pieces of sand could have gotten in my eye!"

"Auka, are you okay?"

"No." Auka sighed, "I don't think so." Ellie sighed as well, shaking her head.

"Auka, I don't know about you."

A full week passed without anything overly exciting happening. Now, Auka sat cross legged by her father, thinking.

_What could possibly be preventing him from waking up?_ Auka asked her dragon, who was keeping the horses herded into one spot while James and Ellie slept.

_I don't now, my little freind._ Chev mentally sighed, _Perhaps something happened to him, when he killed that shade._

_Maybe- _"It's the elves again." Auka groaned. "Don't you guys just stay away? It's barely been a week!" She glared skyward. Once again the annoying sensation ran over her. "I'm not going to get myself almost killed once a week, that's _not_ on my schedule!" She growled in fusteration.

_Calm yourself, they just want to make sure the only other rider out of Galbatroix's control is safe._ Chev growled.

_Well, they don't have to check every week!  
With you they do._ Chev chuckled.

_Oh, you big.._ Auka sighed. "I'm being doubled teamed here."

"And why aren't you sleeping?" Auka looked back to see Ellie walking up.

"Uh, couldn't?" Auka suggested. "I'm worried about, you know, my _father_."

"Yeah, I know." Ellie sat down beside her, "Have you tried a spell?"

"It's pretty drangrous to do that type of stuff." Auka explained, "The spell might be more than I can handle."

"Then just say, 'Try to wake up my father.' or something like that." Ellie replied. Auka frowned,

"I don't _know_ the word for try in the achinet laungage." She fumed, "It's not like I have books to study."

"Then-"

_Aw, your father won't wake up?_

Auka reconized the voice, she felt her face pale.

_Comeon, I can help, if you just come get it._

_Haven't I told you to stay away? _Chev asked, _What are you, anyways?_

_I'm not much diffrent from you, dragon._ The voice snapped.

_Why do you need Auka's help?_ Chev argued.

"Not in my head, getting a headache.." Auka muttered.

_She is a rider, she can get it out._ The voice snapped.

_Get IT out? What are you, some demon inprisioned?_

_I have seen the outside world._

_Answer my question!_ Chev snarled.

_I'm no diffrent from you. _The voice sounded smug, really. _Just alot more diffrent.._

_Is that so?_ Chev growled.

"Auka, are you okay?" Ellie asked.

"Oh yeah, I just have an odd voice fighting in my head with Chev." Auka muttered as the two continued.

"An odd voice?"

"Uh-huh. I have no clue who it is." Auka winced as Chev mentally roared to whatever it is, "It pratically blew my mind up back in the cave."

"How'd it get in your head? Don't you have your defensives up?" Ellie asked.

"Of course I do! That's what I can't understand!"

_Your a rider, that's why I can speck to you. No silly defense is going to stop me._

_Why'd you hurt her?_ Chev growled.

_In an effort to get you to leave her, but you two are closer than I thought. _It aruged.

"To get him to leave me?" Auka lifted her head, "What the Hell are you?" Ellie now looked emensely worried.

_Yes, answer her question!_ Chev growled.

_You shouldn't be so craby, I was the one who woke her up, actully._

Auka thought about this. Of course this voice could reach her even when Chev was sealed off! Even if she sealled her dragon off now he could still speack to her!

_Then can you awaken my father?_

_Only if you promise to go back to the cave._ The voice replied.

_Auka, be careful. _Chev warned.

_I won't hurt the rider, Dragon. _The voice snapped, _Not this one._

_Who are you?_ Chev repeated.

_Please, just come back to the cave. I've waited too long!_

_Alright. You wake up my dad, and I'll go back to the cave._ Auka stated. Chev growled uncertainly, but agreed.

_Very well, give me a few moments._

"Auka?" Ellie asked.

"It's gonna wake Father up." Auka told her.

"What's going to do that?"

"The voice." Auka replied, "Whatever it was, it woke me up too."

"Okay..." Ellie replied slowly. Instantly Endevor started coughing, making both girls turn to look at him. Then he fell silent, his face shifting expressions. One moment he looked surprsied, the next angered, then the next worried, and back to surprsied. "You didn't look like that." Ellie stated. "How'd you convince it to wake up your dad?"

"I agreed to go back to the cave to pick whatever 'it' is up." Auka replied, "I don't think it's bad. The voice just sounds desprate."

"I don't know.." Ellie sighed.

"I didn't promise anything in the achient laungage." Auka rolled her eyes, "We'll see. Dad?" The man's eyes flittered open, and he stared breifly at her.

"You have gotten yourself in a world of trouble." He rasped.

"How?" Auka asked as both she and Ellie helped him sit up.

"How in the world, did you find a dead dragon?" He coughed, his shoulders jerking, "He had a dictory and more full of words to give me."

"What?" We both looked at eachother.

_The voice, was the dead dragon?_ Chev asked.

"Yes, Chev. Hopefully you can hear me through Auka. That voice, it was a dead dragon. It claimed you almost fell right on it's body." He glanced at Auka, already with his famous raised eyebrow on his face.

"Uh..well, that's kinda ture." Auka sighed, "How'd you know it was a dead dragon?"

"Oh, we've ment before, long, long ago." Endevor closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, "I suppose it needs you, though."

_I don't trust it. _Chev growled.

"Oh, it won't harm you. Your just not used to how wild dragons act." Endevor rubbed his face, "I'm glad he woke me up though, I just couldn't break the spell."

"Spell? It woke me up too." Auka told him.

"Yes, I knew you were under a spell the moment you fell like a rock after you bellied that shade." Endevor grumbled, "I didn't know killing the older one would put one on me too. Where are we?"

"Middle of the Hardac." Ellie replied, "Already half way through our journey."

"Huh, we've already passed Furnost then, good." Endevor looked relieved, "I wasn't looking forward to that."

_Your part of the bargin._ A voice hissed in Auka's head. She winced, Endevor looked at her,

"Go with Chev back to that cave. I don't think I want to step foot there again." His face was grave,

"Why not?" Ellie asked.

_Not with the elves listening._ He stated. Both Auka and Ellie nodded.

"I guess I can wake up Dad to keep the horses rounded up. You, Endevor, stay and rest." Ellie ordered the man, "Good luck Auka, don't get yourself killed."

"Uh-huh." She sighed and stood up, "I don't really want to go there again." She muttered as Chev landed.

_We must. Your honnor would be shattered if you broke this promise._ Chev growled.

"Wise words out of your mouth." Auka muttered. Chev snorted, but allowed her up all the same.

"It would be wise not to speck aloud around his body." Endevor advised as the two prepaired to take off, "Noise gives a dead dragon power."

"Oh, that would explain last time." Auka muttered.

_I will seal her lips if I must. _Chev growled, before he sprung up into the air.

_I didn't know dragons could hang around after they die._

_I don't think many do. This one has something special, though, that it needs to guard._ Chev replied.

When they landed outside of the hole Auka had climbed out of, the air was growing colder as it neared sunset. _Hurry. _Chev advised as Auka climbed down. Half way down the hole she let herself drop, landing with a soft thud on the ground.

_Welcome back._ The dead dragon's voice growled.

_I can't believe I'm talking to a dead dragon._ Auka replied.

_I can't believe I'm talking to the child of my murderer._ Came the snapped reply.

_What?_ Auka asked as she stepped inside, calling up her orb and staring at the motionless skeletal form.

_Yes, your father, he stabbed me, left his blade in my chest._ Auka reflected back on the blade she had seen,

_That's not his, it's purple, his was a green dragon._

_He used another's, then. _The dragon growled, _But you are good. Come to my head._ Auka obayed, walking back to where she had been standing over a week ago. _Now, open my jaws._ He ordered.

_You got to be kidding me._ Auka replied, _Open your mouth!?_

_Yes, do it._ The dragon growled, _You should see this as a gift rather than a touture sentance!_

_Alright._ Auka muttered, kneeling down and prying open the dragon's jaws. It was harder than she had thought. _How come you aren't like...falling apart? I mean, these bones are tight._

_Dragons are mythical creatures, we don't 'fall apart' like you humans would._ The voice growled.

_Oh. _She sighed as she finished, the dragon's large open white mouth, along with all it's white teeth still there, was slightly frightening.

_Now, look in the back of my mouth._

_Oh no-_

_Do it!_

_Fine, fine, no head exploding business._ Auka muttered, peering into the dragon's mouth. Carefully, she put her hand with the orb into it's mouth. Sitting in the back of the dragon's throat, invisible from the outside because of bone, sat a orange dragon egg._Holy Hell._ She muttered.

_Her name is Cella._ The dragon's voice growled.

_I'll remember that. Er, she's wild, right?_

_Yes. _The voice replied.

_Ok, one more question, did you ever notice that gold egg we had with us?_

_Yes, that's why I found you in the first place. Mysterious object, I might state._

_Mysterious?_

_Yes, it's obviously a dragon, but..there's something odd about it. _The dragon sighed, _Take the egg, it's my daugther, might I warn you._

_Ok._ Auka took a deep breath and broke the orb spell, then she closed her eyes and reached alittle farther forward. Her hand brushed the egg's smooth surface. Shivering, not just because of the cold, Auka reached in with the other hand and grabbed it. The dragon's mouth was oddly warm, she noted. Clentching her teeth, she yanked.

She tumbled back with the egg clutched to her. When she opened her eyes, she gasped. The dead dragon was fading away. It continued to fade until nothing was left of it, the blade clattered to the floor.

_Wow._

_See, I think his mate was killed in the nest. Look on the ground._ Chev ordered. Auka obayed, and a indent was on the floor, the same shape that the dragon had been laying there.

_Alright, I'm finished with this crap._ Auka stated, standing up and running to the hole. She scaled it like some squirel. When she reached the top, she held up the egg. It was orange, with red veins running through it. "We're becoming egg collecters Chev, first the gold one, now this one-" She broke off as the egg started to shake.

_Huh, will you look at that. It's hatching. _Chev growled, _Put it down._ He ordered. Auka obayed, thankful that the elves weren't watching. The egg shuttered, and broke. A orange whelp with red spikes tumbled out. It lay on the ground, breathing heavily.

_Hello, Cella._ Auka told it. The whelp looked at her, reconition flashed in it's eyes. It chirped.

_So this is her._ Chev growled, lowering his head to gaze at the whelp, it chirped at him. _Did I ever chirp?_

_Yes, you did._ Auka told him, _About five monthes ago._ Chev snorted. Cella walked to Auka, chirping again. Hesitantly, Auka streached out her hand and patted the dragon on the head. Nothing happened. Releived, Auka picked it up. "Now what?"

_I'll go get food. Start back to Endevor, he'll know what to do._ The dragon growled.

"It'll easily be a day before you catch anything, and almost another day before we get back. Dad'll flip!"

_Then he'll flip, there is nothing we can do about it._ Chev growled. The forest green dragon took off, leaving Auka with a wild orange whelp on hand.

"This is great." Auka muttered, looking down at the little dragon. It stared back with wide red eyes, "Your kinda cute though." She wiggled her finger infront of it's nose, it snorted and bit it. "Hey!" Auka cried, almost dropping it. "You little monster!" She looked at her finger, quickly healing it. "I don't know what dad's gonna say about you." Auka muttered to the whelp, "I can already tell your going to be a handful."

**There, had a hope to mix in wild dragons, hope it seems somewhat believeable. Little Cella is going to be quite a problem in later chapters. Can't give the whole story away now, even though I'm not completely sure how the events are going to take place, it's sorta making itself. But I have an outline in my head! Review, people, review. That's all I ask. Just say 'hi' for all I care.**

**TS**


	8. Chapter 8

**Whew, this one was kinda fun to write. There's some swearing, but I don't think it's too much. This is rated 'T' for a reason. Oh yes, there's a huge time skip that doesn't seem to make sense, just go along with it, okay?**

**Okay, I was given a big speech by a freind about my lack of disclamiers, so here I go (big breath) I don't own any charaters from ****Eragon**** BUT I own..here it goes...Auka, Chev, Ellie, James, Endevor, Umbra, Cella, and whatever the golden egg holds. Which is actully a charater by the end of this chapter, (hint hint). Anyone who wants to use any of these needs permission. I have yet to see a plot featuring Galbatroix's brother's daugther, so I guess I could say I own that too, but well, I don't know. Can you own a plot?**

**Review replies!  
Thanks outhere101! My only reviewer for chapter 7. I tried to make it surprising, hope I didn't just end up making it weird. **

**Ayra- I know the first few chapters are REALLY boring, I'm trying to make it more intresting though.**

"There he is." Auka muttered, seeing the line of horses off in the distance. She hissed slightly as the wind picked up, lashing sand into her face. She and Chev had decided to approch from two directions. Auka alone, Chev carrying Cella. She watched as a horse parted from the line and loped over to her. She mentally winced when her dad swung off and glowered over her. If it wasn't for the now familer prescense of the elves, he would be yelling at her by now.

"And where have _you_been?" He glowered down at her with the anger of a father, not a teacher.

"Urm," Auka shifted slightly, "Off."

"_Auka."_ He growled. Auka winced, mentally kicking herself.

"It's not-" She hesitiated, "Dad, we _had_ to stay back."

"It's been _four_ days!" He just about blew up.

"I _know._" Auka sighed in irritaition, "I-"

_ It wasn't our fault, Master._ Both turned their heads skyward, _It's something we can't tell you about until the elves are gone._

"Very well Chev."

"You trust the dragon over your daughter?" Auka asked drily.

"Dragons don't lie as much." Endevor replied, "And you _should_ have told me, whatever this is." Auka rolled her eyes, but caught the glare in his eyes. No more.

"Fine." She fumed, crossing her arms. She wondered what the elves were thinking. From what she gathered, having children were miracules, and they proubly didn't yell at them like this.

"Did we miss something?" Ellie asked, she and James rode up.

"Ellie, sush." James advised, eyeing the two. Who _still_ stood glaring at each other. "I don't think it's time to talk right now." Ellie mumbled in reply.

"No flying for two days." Endevor stated finally.

"_What?_" Auka felt her jaw drop, "It wasn't _my_fault! Chev had to hunt for the- the...uh..oh crap." She slapped her hand to her forehead. Endevor was now giving her a cirtical eye.

"The..." He prompted. "The _what?_"

"The...he was just hungry." Auka said. Endevor didn't even faulter in his gaze, "I just screwed up my words." She snapped.

"When you get mad your mouth goes lose." Endevor's eyes were now laughing, "_What._"

"Why do I have to be stuck with my _dad._" Auka moaned, "Why oh why?"

"It's a cruel twist of fate." Endevor replied calmly, "That's why."

"Ugh." Auka groaned, "Okay, but, uh, don't look shocked when Chev lands."

"Should I be reeling mad, or terrified stiff?" Endevor questioned. Auka debated.

"Extremly surprised, alittle terrfied, maybe just a _little_ mad?" Auka offered.

"Does it have anything to do with the dead dragon you found?"

"Hell yes."

''Alright, I'm ready. James, Ellie?"

"We're good."

"Good. Chev, come down." Endevor mused. The green form of Chev cruised down, landing with a smooth cruntch. The whelp on his back idmeietely hoped off and rushed to her. Her bright orange scales glinting in the light. Auka winced as she found herself knocked down. She glanced at her three traveling compainions. Ellie's jaw worked soundlessly, James had his hand clamped over his mouth, and Endevor was as stiff as a...board.

"Warned you." Auka muttered.

"You are correct on what I feel. Maybe a tad more _anger._ But..." He ran his hand over his face, "Ah god, if there was a time when the elves _weren't_ here, now would be the time." He glanced pointedly upward, "_Come on!_" He hissed, "Or I'll use a charm until I'm stone dead!" The elves left.

"Okay." He took a deep breath, "How'd you get the whelp?"

"Her name's Cella and she's the dead dragon's whelp. She's wild too, just loves me."

"Did you talk to her mentally, use her name, shortly after she hatched?" Endevor ventered.

"Yeah, I figured-" She stopped when Endevor slapped his forehead. "What's so bad?"

"She's imprinted on you!" He just about cried, "She see's you as her mother, and Chev as her father!"

"Oh hell." Auka muttered.

"Which also means, your the second Eragon." Endevor looked down at her in worry, "I mean the _first_ Eragon." He sighed at the blank look he recived, "The first Eragon never was turly bonded to his dragon, the dragon was just imprinted on him. When other dragons offered him eggs, he came up with the phrase we use now. No one has ever been _chosen_ willingly by a wild dragon to be thier 'imprinted' since."

"I don't know if she chosed me willingly." Auka muttered, trying to pry the thing off her.

"You can't make a wild whelp imprint on you." Endevor replied in amusment, "Just ask her to let go." Auka looked at the whelp,

"Can you let go?" She tilted her head to the side and chirped. "Er, can you let go of your mother?" The whelp idmetidely got off. "Oh my god!"

"That's proof." Endevor stated. "She's not going very far from you or Chev, so get used to it."

Three monthes later found them on the edge of the Hardac.Cella was flying above with Chev, while the rest scouted around. Auka, who was riding ahead by about a mile, was scanning the area when she saw the flash. That fallowed moments later wtih a painful removeal from her horse. As her head hit the ground, she heard Chev's bellow. Scrambling, she rolled sideways, struggling to her feet, then gasped as she felt a sword rap agaist her back, if she hadn't caught the tree, she would have fallen again. Putting the tree between whoever was attacking her, and herself. Drawing her blade, she looked around it. A familer face stared back.

"_Murtagh?"_ She blinked breifly, "Shit. What are you doing here?"

"Catching you." Murtagh replied. Chev bellowed again, and she looked up. A slightly smaller, but bulkier, red dragon was attacking him. Cella was no where in sight. She gasped as she was pushed agaist the tree, then used a bit of magic to shoove him back. She barely blocked his blow. God, and she was easily two miles away from her dad. He continued to advance, and Auka struggled to block him. "When did _you_ become a rider?" Auka asked, struggling to block his blows.

"A few monthes after you." Murtagh replied, managing a slice across her arm.

"My guess, your serving Galbatroix." Auka venetered, jumping up to dodge a swipe to the leg,

"Yes, the correct path, which, might I add, you will be taking."

"I don't think so." Auka replied, dancing back.

"Oh come _on_! I know your better than this!" Murtagh sneered. Auka stood about five feet away, staying light on her feet. "Don't want to hurt your old freind, hm?"

"Not really." Auka agreed, _Cella, Cella, where are you?_

_ Chev saw this new dragon just in time, I managed to hit the ground. He didn't see me._ She replied.

_ Okay, stay hidden, no matter what happens to us. _Auka replied, gasping as a wave of magic slammed her agaist a near by tree. "Damn. Your strong." She hissed.

"I know." Murtagh grinned, "All comes with fallowing Galbatroix."

"I've heard that talk before." Auka replied, "So, how's Umbra?"

"He's okay." Murtagh shrugged.

_ Dad-_

_ A little longer._ He advised, she knew he was galloping as fast as he could this way. But then she caught more movement. In the trees around her.

"That's good to hear." Auka replied, forcing a smile. Murtagh arched an eyebrow,

"Back at you, how's Ellie?"

"Why in the Hell would I know?" Auka asked, then winced as he pressed her even farther into the tree, splinters were digging into her back. Above her, his dragon roared as Chev bit him in the foreleg.

"I know she's with you." Murtagh replied.

"She's fine. Happy?" Auka asked.

"Yes. Your dragon's strong." Murtagh stated.

"Thanks."

"Much better than Saphira, Eragon's dragon, you've heard of him?" She tried to hide the smile that crept onto her face.

"Really? Never seen them." She gripped the dagger's hilt, she had been inching her hand down that way for awhile.

"Too bad, I- _Blöthr!"_She lept clear of the tree and charged him as he raced to stop the dagger from hitting him. It stopped inches from his chest, but he was already moving. The two clashed again, sparks flying up between the riders' blades.

The battle dragged on, both struggling to match each other, until she saw Murtagh's eyes narrow, and magic lept out at her. She gasped as her throat constricted. Stumbled back, she gagged, struggling to gasp out the right word. Her eyes were fuzzy, but she managed to choke out the right word.

"Two can play sneeky." Murtagh replied cruely. Auka stared at him,

"Jerk." She muttered.

"I don't know why a dragon hatched for _you_ anyways. Your a girl."

"Watch it buddy." Auka warned him, straightening, "I may be thirteen and female, but I can still kick your ass."

"I don't see you doing that." He replied. Auka narrowed her eyes,

"Garjzla!" A bright flash of light filled the clearing. Murtagh cried out as Auka dashed forward, taking the tempory blindness to her full advantage. She hit his shoulder then gave him a boot in the butt, just to satisfy him. He hissed and backed away, blinking rapidly.

"Your still a brat." He scowled, "No more games, Auka, we're done."

"Very well." Auka nodded, turning serious. "It's a shame we're on opposite sides."

"Won't be for long. A chat with your uncle will change that."

"Huh." Auka replied, then grunted as Murtagh charged her.

Both were weakening, and Auka was beginning to wonder where her father was when Chev roared. She felt the pain and recoiled, breaking from the fight.

_ Chev!_ She cried, looking up. The red was latched onto his foreleg, ripping._No!_ That was _it!_she wasn't putting up with Chev getting beat up.

_ I'll help._ Cella growled. They melded their minds, it felt odd, but Auka didn't care right now. Auka turned back to Murtagh, and he frowned, gazing at her eyes.

"Your dragon's eyes aren't red, they're silver." He looked worried. Like any rider, he would know her eyes would turn silver.

"You should be worried Murtagh." She smiled coldly, "We don't like it when you mess with family." He lowered his sword, but Auka charged. He grunted as he was almost overpowered. He just managed to dance away from her blade.

"What the Hell? Your_not_ melded with your dragon, so how in the..." He trailed off as he dodged her blade again. "Are you a shade or something?"

"No, just her eye color." Auka replied, twisting and once again barily missing._Cella, it's our rage, we have to contain it._

_ I understand._ They froze, forcing themselves to breathe slower, to relax. Murtagh saw this.

"So the red rider needs help." A figure walked out, and Auka turned her head towards him. He lowered his hood, reveiling blood red eyes, which, at the moment, matched her's. "Your powerful." He stated. "Almost too powerful to keep alive." Auka switched her blade to her other hand and back again, studying him.

"How many shades does that basterd have?" She asked calmly.

"Quite a few." The shade smiled. "Come, Murtagh, let's take her down." Chev roared again, this time managing to snag Thorn's tail in his jaws. The red dragon was too bulkly to whip around and bite him back. Both charged.

If it hadn't been for Cella, Auka would have been gone the moment both teamed up on her. Even now, she could tell she was tiring out.

_ Where's Dad?_ Auka asked, glancing skywards when she had a break in the fight. It took a few minutes to reply, but Chev did.

_ They ran into trouble, with more shades._ Chev growled, _I don't know anything else._ Pain viberated off his link with her.

_ Oh god._ She gasped as she felt a sword go straight through her shoulder, and she stumbled back slightly, her free hand flying up to cover it.

"Got her." Murtagh said, studying his blade, which was now wet with blood, "Your like a snake or something, Auka."

"That's great." Auka breathed, _Cella, this isn't good._

_ I know._ The orange dragonelle replied, _But we have to keep fighting!  
I know._ Auka drew her hand back and shook it, her blood scattering on the ground. "Comeon, I'm not done yet."

"I think you are." The shade replied, lowering his blade and raising his hand. Auka narrowed her eyes and charged, ditching her blade. The shade's eyes widened as she raced towards him, and she saw fear in his eyes just as her dagger slipped into his heart.

The wind sprung up, and so did the massive loss of energy. She stumbled back once he was gone, barely able to hold herself. But a new roar, one she didn't reconize, made both Murtagh and her look up. A blue goddess, as far as Auka was concerned right now, barreled full force into Thorn. Chev pulled away,

_ Cella! Out, me in!_ Chev ordered. The orange dragon obayed, and Auka felt the breif moment of exsaugtion before she felt her eyes change colors. Murtagh's eyes widened,

"What the hell, now they're _silver?_" He looked turly worried. Auka turned and stalked back to her sword, kneeling down, picking it up, and turning back, but Murtagh was already fleeing. Auka took a few moments to mentally pat herself on the back before she tipped her head back and watched the blue dragon circle down towards here.

"Saphira!" Auka cried when the blue dragonelle landed before her, Chev beside her. "Where's Eragon?"

_ He is coming._ She purred. Auka sighed and stumbled towards her dragon. His foreleg was shredded.

"Aw man, Chev, why'd you let him do this?"

_ I'm not the most skilled in fighting._ Chev admitted, _But I shouldn't have let you be distracted by-_

"Shut it." Auka ordered.

_ Heal your shoulder first._ He ordered, blocking her from moving closer to his leg with his head.

"You big rock!" Auka growled through clentched teeth, "I'll have Cella pin you down!"

_ Cella is too small._ Chev rumbled in reply.

_ Cella?_ Saphira asked.

"A new member of our traveling group." Auka replied with a grin. "Where's dad and them?"

_ The shades left, they're starting over, but James is in bad shape._ The green dragon replied, looking alittle worried.

"Huh." Auka set about healing her shoulder, and had just started on her dragon's leg when she heard the bushes behind her rustle. She turned and felt a grin cross her face as Eragon stepped out.

"Wow, you've changed." Auka told him, "You look like an elf!" He did, except he still had brown hair and brown eyes, but those brown eyes were flecked with blue, like Auka's, except her's was silver specks.

"And you don't?" He countered.

"Overdose." Auka replied. "It's been along time."

"Almost a year." Eragon agreed. "How's Chev?"

"The rock?" Auka asked, "He'll be fine now that he finally let me heal this thing. Ah yes, you were with the elves, they've been scribing us?" She ventered.

"They wanted to make sure you were alright." Eragon explained as she chanted the words to heal the dragon's massive wounds. A silence fallowed as Auka finished, and, slightly short of breath, she leaned again his side.

"Well, it's annoying," She scowled, "some people don't like elves constantly fallowing them around." Eragon sighed,

"I didn't expect them to check every week, I thought it would be too much magic for them to do that." He admitted. Auka snorted, resting her head agaist Chev's warm scales.

_ How are you?_

_ I'll live._ Chev rumbled, closing his silver eyes. _You?_

Auka grunted, prying her eyes open and turning to Saphira. The blue dragon raised her head, snaking it over to the girl. "Saphira, long time, no see." She snorted, then looked up and snarled in surprise at a new figure that had slipped out of the woods.

_ Don't mind me, I'm just vising._ Cella snorted. Eragon froze in surprise as she walked past him to Auka. Chev purred in greeting to her, touching noses, before Cella lowered her head to allow Auka to rub the scales on the back of her head.

"Meet Cella." Auka grinned to Eragon, "Three monthes old and driving me insane." She snorted and snarled slightly.

"Who's her rider?" Eragon asked finally after a long pause.

"No one." Auka explained, "I found her egg, and it hatched." Eragon and Saphira seemed to converse for a short time before everyone looked up as a horse trotted into the clearing.

"Eragon, hopeing the powerful mind wasn't anybody else." Endevor smiled slightly and nodded to the young rider as he swung off. His shirt was bloody, and a slash went clear across the man's chest, but the skin under it was already healled. "How are you two?" He asked Auka and Chev.

"We're fine, thanks to Saphira and Eragon." Auka replied.

"What are you doing down here, young man?" Endevor asked the younger aged rider.

"I did some scribing on my own and relized you and Murtagh were going for a crash course." Eragon replied, "Saphira and I took off without alerting any of the elves." Endevor snorted slightly.

"Not the wisest move." Endevor mused. "The elves won't be keen to forgive you."

"I'm aware of that." Eragon agreed. "I thought Ellie was with you?"

"She's with her dad." Endevor muttered, "He got a stab in the stomech. I _think_ I've stabalized him, but.." He shook his head. Auka and Eragon both winced.

"Perhaps we can help him." Auka muttered, sharing a glance with the other rider.

"Not you." Endevor stated, "You just killed a shade, your lucky to be awake." Auka glared, but didn't argue. "Eragon, did you come with anyone else?"

"No." Eragon shook his head. Endevor nodded,

"Come with us if you want to." He said, swinging up onto the horse again, "Auka, Chev'll show you where the clearing is." Auka nodded in understanding, and the horse soon disappered.

"I was alittle worried Murtagh would capture you." Eragon stated. Auka looked at him, there was a dark knowing look in his eyes.

"Really?" Auka frowned, "We spent half of our time dancing around catching up on stuff. I mean, his little brother Umbra is doing good."

"_Little brother?"_ Eragon's voice had risen to a squeak. Auka frowned at him, his face was pale. "How little?"

"10, 11, 12, something like that." Auka replied, "Is there something I should know?"

_ Eragon's father is Morzan._ Chev growled, _His brother is Murtagh._

"Oh!" Auka gaped at Eragon, who's face was dark. "We're in the same boat, Eragon, atleast you aren't related to the King."

"Morzan is bad enough." Eragon scowled. Auka smiled breifly at him,

"Are you coming with me?" Auka asked, rising to her feet. Eragon nodded. _Chev, how'd you know?_

_ Saphira told me, shortly after you metioned Umbra._ Chev growled, allowing her to haul herself back up into the saddle.

"Gods, I'm tired." Auka muttered, eyes half closed as she tightened the straps of the saddle.

"You're better off than me when I killed a shade." Eragon said from where he had perched himself on Saphira. "I went out cold."

"Huh." Auka mused. Nither rider spoke as the two dragons lept into the air. The flight back was not very intresting, even though Auka felt herself stiffen each time something rustled benegth them, she could easily imagine a red dragon shotting out of the small patches of woods that numbered the land below them.

_ Does Saphira know that dragon's name?_ Auka asked her dragon. A short silence fallowed before Chev replied,

_ She says his name is Thorn._ The dragon snorted.

_ That's a horrible name._ Auka grumbled.

_ Maybe._ Chev replied, _But Endevor's spoken of dragons named Dark and Evil, too. Because the riders wanted 'original' names._

_ That's ture._ Auka admitted.

_ Your almost forteen now._ The dragon purred. Auka sat up in thought about that.

_ It's winter?_ She asked.

_ Yes, this is a very warm land, but can't you see the leaves?_ He offered. In the fading light, Auka could just _barely_ make out the red and yellow leaves.

_ Wow. Didn't even relize that we took that long to go through the desert._

_ We were moving slowly. Just plodding along, most of the time. _Chev folded his wings, droping slightly before he snapped them open and shot up, spirling into the sky.

_ Show off._ Auka grinned. _How far is this clearing?_

_ Only about five more minutes of flying, my freind._ He replied, twisting through the air like some type of snake. _I'm just making it intresting-_ He broke off when Cella shot upwards, narrowly missing him as he rolled. Auka clutched on tightly.

_ Come on Father!_ Cella roared, _Play! _

_ Your not a whelp anymore, Cella._ Chev snarled in amusement, but dove after the smaller orange dragonelle. She doubled back, barely missing the drake's open mouth.

_ Saphira! Play!_ Cella insisted. The blue dragon snorted out a bit of flame before she too teamed up with Chev to catch the young dragon. Cella was smaller and more manuvarble than either of the two adults, and always seemed to escape with only a breath inbetween her and the dragon who had almost caught her. The game cotinued, until a very amused Endevor called them down.

The three dragons and two riders landed, all out of breath. Auka was half asleep as she climbed off, and Eragon looked tired too.

"Your all kids." Endevor was stating, "All just little kids."

"I'm _not_ a kid." Eragon muttered, "I'm almost seventeen."

"I don't mean physically." Endevor scowled, even though it was playful, "I mean mentally. Auka, get some sleep." He advised his daughter when she stumbled slightly. Auka glared at him breifly before she went over to Ellie.

"Whoa, the world is spinning." Auka muttered as she finally sat down.

"Sleep Auka." Ellie advised, "My dad'll be okay till you wake up. Maybe Eragon can help." Auka didn't argue as Chev walked over to her, resting his huge stomech next to her. With a grin, Auka cuddled up to the huge dragon.

_ You know, almost a year ago, I could hold you with one hand._ Auka told him sleepily.

_ I'd like to see you try now, my freind._ Chev hummed as she faded out.

When Auka awoke her dragon was gone, and Cella had filled in for her pillow.

"Where'd Chev and Saphria go?" Auka asked after peering around the clearing, Eragon was still there, atleast.

_ They had a fight._ Cella sighed, _Saphira took off, Chev had to fallow her._

"I see." Auka stood up and walked over to the fire that Endevor was tending to, at the same time the man was managing to check on James. "How is he?" Auka asked her father.

"Not good. A cursed blade got him." Endevor muttered, "Don't tell Ellie, I had to put her to sleep." He nodded towards a bedroll, and Auka spied Ellie's peaceful face.

"How's Saphira?" Auka asked the older aged rider. He shook his head, amusement on his face.

_ Chev?_ Auka streached out her mind and found his.

_ Your awake._ The dragon purred.

_ How'd the fight go?_ Auka asked.

_ It is in the past now, my rider._ Chev growled, _We're heading back as I speck._

_ Okay._ Auka shrugged, then turned her attention to her best freind's dad. His face was pale and his lips were blue, when she touched his forehead, it was ice cold.

"Poision?" Auka suggested.

"That's what I'm thinking." Endevor agreed. "I'm waiting for you two riders to gather your strength, perhaps all three of us can heal him." Auka looked up at her father. It surprised her sometimes how powerful the man could be. Even without his dragon he was a skilled magican.

"Why didn't you turn out like Brom?" Auka finally asked.

"Like a whitered old man?" Endevor smiled slightly, "Galbatroix plastered me with spells. I was kept a kid for a very long."

"Oh." Auka sighed, "How long will you not be a withered old man?"

"Oh, quite a while." Endevor looked at her with laughing eyes, "You don't get out of it that easily!"

"Darn." She sighed.

"There they are." Auka looked up at Eragon's words, just in time to see the two dragons land into another clearing to advoid sqishing James and walk back towards them.

"Hey." Auka told her dragon, who snorted and affectionity rubbed his cheek agaist her's.

"Alright. Eragon, Saphira, Auka, Chev, and Cella." Endevor clasped his hands, "Let's try this."

Five minutes later, the three riders, ex or not, sat beside James. Endevor, being the most skilled, would lead the group, while Eragon and Auka would back him up with the power. The three dragons sat behind them, ready to combine powers with their riders. They all had just closed their eyes when the familer elves came up.

"Ignore them." Endevor muttered. Auka and Eragon exchanged mildly amused looks before they switched back to concintraiting. Endevor started the spell, talking too low for Auka to understand, but then the spell was started. She felt it pull on her energy, but Chev and Cella replaced it quickly.

A long hour of this spell passed before Endevor finally broke it, all three humans reeled back, gasping for breath.

"Did it work?" Auka asked, trying to even out her breathing. Even with the two dragons helping, it had tired her out.

"I think it did." Endevor said in satisfaction, resting his hand on the other man's forehead. "He's not cold anymore. I believe the posion is gone." His own face was pale, but he looked relieved. Eragon and Auka, not really thinking about the elves, high-fived eachother in delight. "Don't get so excited." Endevor advised, seeing their victorious motions, "He's a human, and he has to fight this. I don't think I've seen a human who's lived through this." The young riders' faces fell. "Well, hey, you two don't like me lying, now do you?"

''No. But you can exsagerate the truth." Auka mumbled. Endevor chuckled. "Did anyone relize the elves are still here?"

"Yeah." Eragon sighed, "I guess I should apologize."

"Huh." Endevor snorted, "A shur'gutal apologizing to elves?" He didn't seem to support that idea. "I understand that you should respect them for protecting you and whoever your mentor is-" He held up his hand as Eragon opened his mouth to speck, "-I know your mentor has to be a rider, Eragon, I can tell by your training level." His mouth closed, "But, not that I'm saying anything, nor am I trying to change your view on things, the elves don't need a dragon rider apologizing to them. Nor should you have left without telling anyone." Eragon looked lost. "Though, I have one question, Islanzadi is still Queen, right?" Eragon nodded. "Huh. Elves last too long." Endevor mused, tilting his head back and studying the sky, as if he could see the elves. Then, he looked back down with a sigh. "If Murtagh got here," He glanced with some amusement at the stiffened Eragon, "then Galbatroix is only days behind. My brother has gotten cocky, think's I'm still a young boy who can't handle his power." Endevor smiled to himself, "So we're going to have to get moving again."

"Where?" Auka asked.

"Varden?" Eragon offered. Auka cast him a side glare, "Well, hey-"

"Eragon has a point Auka." Endevor told her before she could open her mouth. "You were raised in the city of Uru'baen, and you have adapted to that form of living. Sure, the Empire itself is a very stable government -Eragon, drop that glare - but Galbatroix himself is ruining it." He sighed.

"The whole Empire is screwed up!" Eragon snapped. Endevor studied him with a warm gaze.

"They're humans, Eragon." Endevor told him calmly, not bothered by the firey gaze, "Humans aren't like dwarves or elves. We're darker, always wanting more power, even though some pretend we don't want to. You yourself may be more elven than human now, but think about the thousands of humans out there. They like power, that's why we have money in the first place. Haven't you noticed that elves and dwarves don't use as much."

"You smashing your own race!" Eragon growled.

"I am, because I know it's ture." Endevor nodded, "I'm not a shur'gutal and I'm sure as Hell am not going to be one anytime soon, but I have noticed the shift in my beliefs as well. Galbatroix, before he went turly insane, I believe, wanted the humans to be like the elves or dwarves, but what he didn't understand was that that was the thing keeping the humans from being elifsh or dwarfish." He shook his head, "Is complicated. Unless you lose Saphira, which I pray to gods you don't, you won't understand."

"I don't." Eragon snorted. Auka looked between the two, choosing to stay out of it.

"Just think, Eragon." Endevor reached his hand forward into the flames, and much to everyone's surprise, it wasn't burned.

_ A sign of his power._ Chev growled to Auka.

"The Varden is taking over the Empire in the same bloody way as the Empire took over the riders. Sure, perhaps they would be kinder and easier on the poeple, but there will still be a King or Queen having power over the entire race." Eragon didn't reply, he looked thoughtful.

"Then where do you lie?" Eragon asked.

"We lie no where." Auka put in before Endevor could speck. Her father nodded. "Your both fighting over power. Of _course_ Galbatroix is mad and needs to be taken down, but...we aren't killing others for it." Eragon was still sitting, looking between them with a thoughtful face.

"Have you seen what the King does?" He finally asked.

"Of course I have." Endevor chuckled, "And that's why I don't side with him. But I don't side with the Varden due to the fact they've started this war." He shook his head. His emerald eyes seemed to glow with a grim dispair. "The human race is set to continue fighting, Eragon. You get rid of the King, more reasons to fight will grow withen fifty years. It's our nature. Ask an elf about it, and they will agree." Eragon 'humphed' and stared at the older man, who was serveying the hand he had put in the flame.

"But back on track." Endevor continued, switching out of the dark mood, "Seeing as I'd rather have Auka with the Varden then the Empire, your scheme sounds relatively inviting."

"I thought you partly supported the Empire." Eragon scowled. The ex-rider waved his hand losely in the air,

"The reason why I don't want Auka there is between me, Galbatroix, your late father, Auka, Chev, and an old elven elder named Oromis." He snorted, then serveyed the way Eragon stiffened and his eyes buldged. Endevor's hand lowered. Auka also stared thoughtfully at him. He only stiffened slightly at the mention of Morzan, but he was shocked.

"How...how.." He shook his head. Endevor smiled slyly after a few moments.

"How do I know Oromis?" He asked, serveying Eragon's body laungage. "By god, that old man is still alive?" He 'humphed' and glanced skywards, since they elves were still watching. "It was partly him that got my dragon killed, Eragon." He sat back, lacing his fingers behind his head, still looking skywards. No doubt trying to drag the imagine of the elder out before his eyes.

"Okay, I'm waking Ellie up." Auka jumped to her feet, uncomfortable. Eragon was still shocked, and Endevor was still staring at the sky, and it had been going on for a good ten minutes now. Shaking her head, the almost-forteen year old went to her freind. Mumbling some words that she hoped broke the spell, she sat crossed legged by her freind. Moments later Ellie's eyes fluttered open and she yawned.

"I feel like I slept for a thousand years." She mumbled, sitting up, "What's up-"

"Elves." Auka stated, "Elves, elves, elves. Big discussion."'

"Hm. And you let me sleep through this?"

"Sorry." Auka replied as Ellie stood up and crossed the clearing to her father. She let out a relieved breath when she felt his forehead and found it warm.

"It'll still be a long fight, Ellie." Endevor put in, finally breaking out of his staring contest with the sky.

"I know." Ellie replied, frowning down at her father.

"Eragon," Endevor hesitaited slightly, before continued, "Brom, where is he?" The blue rider scowled,

"He was killed by Ra'zac when they captured us, I barely escaped." Endevor winced slightly, muttered a few well choosen curses under his breath, and sighed.

"Dang." Endevor nodded, "Always hated those Ra'zac."

"I'm going to help my cousin kill them." Eragon said bluntly, "When I get there again. They have his future wife captive." Endevor stared at him.

"That's not very smart." He said finally, "Trust me as one who got a chance to pratice duel with them. They are intellegent and powerful, Eragon, they live to hunt _elves._ Seeing as your cousin, Roran, I believe his name is, is human, and you are only a young rider, it is best not to-"

"Katrina is in there!" Eragon hissed.

"If they haven't killed her yet then they won't." Endevor snapped, "Doesn't it seem odd that they are keeping her alive, dangling her in your face? Your going to get hooked Eragon, and I won't let Saphira get in the King's hands, if I was you." _This_ time the glares were turned around. Endevor was giving Eragon his mad glare, and Eragon was stunned. Auka didn't blame him, when Endevor was mad he got cold and blunt, almost like his older brother. Ellie had once told her that it ran in the family, shortly after Auka herself had gotten mad at her.

"I promised him." Eragon finally mumbled. Endevor looked ready to flip, but he heaved a sigh and rubbed his forehead.

"I'm not your mentor, Eragon." Endevor mumbled, "Auka is enough as it is. Your old enough to choose for yourself between honor and life."

"Not to make this worse." Auka mumbled, "But they might kill Katrina when they don't need her anymore. Or Roran could get killed too." Eragon heaved a breath but forced himself to nod.

"Why did _I_ have to become a rider?" He muttered crossly.

"I've asked the same thing." Auka nodded, ignoring the growls she got from Chev and Cella, "Endevor never answears."

"None of the older ones do." Eragon replied. Sure enough, Endevor was watching the two in knowing silence.

"Come on dad, please, tell me?" She asked. He just shook his head. "Aw man."

"So then, are you coming to the Varden?" Eragon pressed.

"You and Auka are going." Endevor stated calmly. Auka nodded for a few seconds before it hit her,

"What?" She lept to her feet, glaring at her father, who had predicted the reaction and wasn't the least bit surprised. "Dad, your coming with!"

"No. I have my own battle to fight." Endevor stated calmly, "Plus, I want nothing to do with elves."

"Well, nither do I!"

"Auka, you need to go. Galbatroix and Murtagh are riders now, Eragon can't hold his own alone." Endevor looked up at her, "Plus James is sick, and someone needs to cart him back."

"What about me?" Ellie pressed.

"Your going with them. I don't want to deal with a teenage girl more than I need to." Endevor replied, barely dodging the cuff Auka atempted to give him, "And that's my point."

"What are you setting up?" Ellie demanded angerily. "I'm not leaving my dad!"

"Ellie." Endevor hesitaited, "Check your pack. I can hear it from here." Ellie frowned, but obdeintly went to her pack, hauling out the gold egg. Eragon gasped, and Saphira snorted, but then they fell silent.

"What about it?"Ellie asked, then screamed as it shook. It hit the ground with a thump, and everyone could hear it, sqeaking.

"It seems it finally wants to hatch." Endevor stated. Much to everyone's amusement, the elfish prescene increased.

"What? No! I'm not some Forsworn kid, hey, _wrong_ person dragon!" Ellie stated franticly as it shook.

"Forsworn kid?" Auka and Eragon exchanged midly amused looks.

"Well, I don't mean it like that, but.." Ellie's face was pale. Cracks were beginning to web over it, and everyone watched eagerly, even the dragons had risen up to their feet. It was squeaking even louder now, almost too much.

"Why's it taking so long?" Ellie asked. As if it heard this, the shell _exploded._ Everyone was forced to duck away as shell peices went flying in every direction, Endevor got a gash on his cheek from one peice. When everyone was brave enough to stand back up and to look up, Ellie was already out cold, with _two_ golden whelps sitting on her.

"Oh no." Endevor stated as Eragon and Auka shared stunned gazes. "This can't be good."

"_Two?_" Auka squeaked.

"That would explain the exploding shell." Endevor muttered, healing the gash on his cheek. Auka looked closer at the whelps. They were both completely golden, one was smaller than the other, but they looked excatly alike. They watched as Ellie stirred, slowly opening her eyes and turning to glare at Auka.

"You really _have_ to stop finding eggs, Auka!" She hissed. Auka stumbled slightly in shock. "What?"

"Your eyes." Auka breathed. Ellie frowned,

"What? Wait, I'm a rider, aren't I?" Ellie looked around, and her face darkened. "Two?" She asked blerily.

"Um, Ellie, look at me." Endevor ordered. The girl did, and his eyes filled with surprise. "Well, I'll be darned!"

"What?" She asked.

"Your eyes, they're gold!" He said. Ellie's old hazel eyes had changed to a rather surprising shade of gold that matched both of the whelps' scales.

"No way." Ellie blinked slowly, "My mind feels werid."

"Let me see your palm." Endevor ordered. Ellie held out her left one, and everyone saw the oh-so-familer shining palm.

"_Man._" She sighed, _"_No way in the world am I supposed to be a dragon rider!"

"Well, you are." Endevor told her calmly. She snorted slightly, then turned to the whelps.

"Then which one is mine? I can't ride two dragons, can I?"

"I don't think so." Endevor mused, "But it's very possible your connected to both of them. One could very much be like the way Cella is with Auka."

"Huh." Ellie frowned, looking at the dragons. "The only thing diffrent about them is their eyes!"

_ Ture._ Auka mused. One had silver eyes, and the other had grey.

_ That's not it. The one with grey eyes is male, the other is female._ Chev growled. Auka felt her eyes widen as she retold that fact to her father.

"That's ture!" Endevor noted after a pause, "The larger one is the female, she must have been in charge in the egg, so we thought the whelp inside was going to be female." His face was filled wtih thought as he stared at them.

Two days later and everyone was still staying in that clearing. Both golden whelps turned out to be a handful, and it took all three dragons to keep track of them. But it was going to be the last day, because both Auka and Ellie had agreed to travel with Eragon to the Varden's camp, Endevor would arrive eventully with James.

"Bye dad." Auka hugged her father, Ellie was already on Chev, while the two golden whelps, strictly ordered to stay beside or on Cella, flapped eagerly in the air. Eragon and Saphira were already in the air, watching for trouble. "I'll wait for you."

"I know you will." Endevor smiled, kissing her hair, "You be good."

"I'll try." Auka told him, finnally parting with him and swinging up onto the green beast of a dragon. Chev snorted and lept into the air, large wings spread wide to catch the air benegth them.

_ I can't believe I'm leaving him. He's my mentor, for pete's sakes!  
He is both our mentors._ Ellie replied as they flew away from the clearing, _We'll have to make that clear to the elves. Eragon's mentor may be Oromis or whoever, but Endevor will be our's._

_ They'll want us to switch._ Auka agreed, _And we won't._

_ I'm proud of you two for being so loyal._ Chev growled.

Three weeks worth flight later, both whelps were resting on Cella's back and everyone was trying to think of a place to land. Already the desert was turning into plains. They were already across the border to Surda. It was amusing, retracing steps that took you about half a year to make in a span of time shorter than a month. But then they had been moving slowly, walking speed, resting for half of a day on their way over there, and now they were coming back as quick as they could, only sleeping and resting for half a night at most. Ellie was trying despratly to name the little female, as she had already named the male Storm, for his eyes. It had been the female that hard started calling her name, and Ellie was certain that Storm was the wild one.

"Speara." Auka suggested. She and Eragon had been giving the new rider suggestions, and now Auka was going back to the achient laungage.

"Hopes?" Eragon arched an eyebrow at her.

"Yup." Auka said, ignoring the eyebrow.

"M'kay, let's try it. My dragon, are you Speara?" Much to the delight of the annoyed riders, the dragon purred and rubbed it's small head on Ellie's cheek.

"Storm and Speara? Don't really go together, but I'm not aruging." Eragon said. Both he and Auka were just glad it was over with. "Anyways, if we leave now, we'll land in the Surdan capital by noon."

"Really?" Ellie frowned, "I'm still not used to the speed of dragons yet, I guess." Auka nodded,

"I know." She agreed, standing up. "Comeon, Ellie, Eragon, let's climb back up on these moutains." Chev and Saphira snorted slightly, but rose to their feet anyways. Cella called the two whelps to her with a few cooing sounds, and soon the whelps were resting on her back. Auka finished tightening her straps, and glanced behind to smile breifly at Ellie, who was riding behind her.

"Ready?" Eragon called, both girls gave him a thumbs up. Eragon nodded and Saphira was up in the air in no time. Chev fallowed, Cella taking up the last spot.

Noon came too soon, as Auka was concerned. She'd never much liked the political things that came with being nobles, or riders, for that matter. The capital of Aberon soon streached below them, and crowds of people were gathering to stare at the picture of three large dragons flying above them. Auka could feel the pride floating off Chev in waves, but the dragon restrained himself from doing anything fancy.

_ Can you believe it? Five dragons outside of the resistance. _Auka told him, _You and Saphira, Cella, and now those two twins. Seems to me the dragon race is coming back._

_ Perhaps._ Chev snorted, _These people, shouldn't they be scared?_

_ No doubt Saphira's prescene asures them that we mean no harm._ Auka muttered.

_ Over here's the landing feild they made._ Saphira's voice floated through Chev's mind, and thus Auka's, _Do you see it?_

_ I do._ Chev replied, and the three flying dragons angled towards it. _There are elves waiting._

_ Eragon's going to be in for it._ Auka told him as the blue dragonelle landed first. Chev fallowed, fanning his larger wings and landing smoothly. Auka and Ellie jumped off moments later, and Cella landed, crouching to let the whelps off. They went straight to Ellie, who patted them on the head.

"Stay with Aunt Cella." Ellie was whispering to them. Auka smiled to herself as she walked up to Eragon who was waiting for them.

"Good luck." Auka told him calmly.

"Thanks." Eragon replied. Ellie caught up, and the five dragons waited as the three riders crossed the field to the elves.

Auka and Ellie stopped a few feet back from Eragon, who bowed.

"Eragon," The woman, who was obviously the leader, stated, "you left with no warning."

"I did." Eragon agreed, straightening, "But I would think a sudden abscence would be better than three riders in Galbatroix's hold."

"You should have atleast had told an elf on your way out." The woman stated.

"Ayra, I know." Eragon said, "But I was in a rush." Ayra's eyes narrowed. Auka and Ellie both shared slightly annoyed glances.

_ I don't think I'll be liking the elves anytime soon._ Ellie told her.

_ I agree._ Auka nodded, and both turned back.

"Now where's your father?" Auka looked up and ment the woman's cold stare head on.

"He's back where we were with a sick man." Auka replied just as coldly. The two stared at eachother, and Auka thought she saw slight surprise flick across Ayra's eyes. Finnally the woman's eyes changed slightly.

"Very well, Shur'gutals. Your welcomed here." Auka looked past Ayra to a dark skinned woman.

"Nasuada ." Auka bowed slightly, "It is great to meet you."

"Thank you, Auka, is it?" Auka nodded, ignoring the surprised glare Ayra gave her. Auka knew what she was thinking. Here she was bowing to a human who wasn't even royal, and she had completely ignored the elfish princess. Well, she'd just have to get over it. Auka perfered to great humans above elves any time.

_ This, Auka, is a new start in life._ Chev growled. Auka glanced back towards him. He stood proudly under the noon high sun.

_ Let's hope we don't do anything stupid._ Auka replied nervously. _So many high status people, I'm not sure if I'm ready for it._

_ You've delt with nobles and a King before, Auka._ Cella put in, _You must be ready to deal with it._

_ I suppose._ Auka replied. She didn't add that she usually had her father hovering behind her. Eragon, Nasuada, and Ayra were still specking to eachother, and she listened to the formal politics.

Quite a few hours later, Auka snuggled deep into the bed she had been granted. She knew that, just outside of her window, Chev and Cella rested. On the other side of the room, the occasional sound of moving scales filled the room as Storm and Speara fought for a better position beside Ellie. At their age, they could do nothing silently. Outside of the door that led into the hallway, and down a door there, Eragon was in his own room, with Saphira resting outside as well. The day Orrin ordered a Dragon Hold built would be quite nice.

She was just starting to doze off with that thought in mind when she heard one of the twins hiss. She brushed it off, figuring that one of them got too rough. But she quickly tossed that out when she felt a cold metal come to rest agaist her neck.

"Get up, now." Auka peered into the darkness, but she couldn't see the figure's face, dispite her sharp eyes.

"Who are you?" Auka asked in a low whisper as she stood up. The person didn't reply as Auka was walked out of the room. She tried to reach Chev or Cella, but a wall seemed clamped between her and her dragons. It was another mind, a strong one. Growing worried, she went obdiently down the halls. This guy must be good, seeing as he managed to sneek into the castle, _into _their room, and now walk her straight out. Plus, he wasn't taking any chances, he had the metal dagger pressed so close it would cut her if she stopped or turned. "Okay then, where are we going?" Silence, this guy didn't want to speck. Auka tried to streach out her mind to reach any of the riders or dragons, but there were iron walls right infront of them.

_ What is this?_ She asked. obviously, it had been planned, for sure. Planned quite a bit. But who would know she would arrive short of the elves? Could it be the elves?

"Open the door." The guy hissed. Auka obayed, and felt the cool night brush her cheeks, but she barely felt it as her eyes landed upon the creature laying outside. Her heart stopped and her feet fallowed.

Sitting before her was a dragon she would have mistaken for Chev at first glance, but this dragon didn't have the dark scales she had grown so attached to. It's scales were like a jewl, even in the night's poor light. The emerald dragon looked down at her, mouth open in a snarl. She could just make out dark green eyes studying her.

"We can't have two green riders, now can we?" The voice asked. Auka shivered slightly at his cold voice, even as the dagger was pressed harder agaist her neck.

"Who are you?" She whispered, shaking.

**There! I'm sorry, I have to stop. Review, I want to hear your guesses on who he is. He hadn't been metioned yet in the story, but he's related to some people who have. :) Some people keep awful secrets. (wink wink)**


End file.
